Changing Sides
by Jenkt5
Summary: Regulus joined the death eaters at 16. He quickly becomes disillusioned with the ideals of The Dark Lord. Knowing his allegiance is until death, he is forced to keep up the act of faithful death eater. Eventually he is forced to make a decision that leads him on an intended suicide mission into the cave. Regulus' survival prevents prophecy from occurring. Begins canon compliant.
1. Meeting with Dumbledore

**I do not own Harry Potter.**

An 18 year old Regulus Black made his way through the corridors of the school he had graduated from only a few short months ago. No one noticed him for he had long since become accustomed to fading in with the shadows. As he approached the Gargoyle which blocked the entrance to the Headmaster's office, the young death eater became profoundly nervous. Here he was seeking out someone who was perhaps more likely to have him arrested than to actually provide him with the information he was searching for. 'This is an incredibly stupid idea' Regulus thought to himself. However there were precious few other options if he hoped to gain the insight he wanted.

After a few false starts Regulus was able to guess the password to the headmaster's office with "cockroach cluster". As the revolving staircase presented itself, he took a few calming breaths and arranged his face into the emotionless mask his parents had taught him to wear since he was a young child. Nervous though he was, he was still a Black and therefore would present himself as such.

Upon reaching the top of the stairs he knocked on the door and was greeted with the Headmaster's soft "Enter". Regulus did not hesitate to open the door and walk in. If there was anything Regulus Black had extensive experience with it was following orders. Which is perhaps why he became a death eater in the first place.

"Ah, Mister Black to what do I owe the pleasure?" asked the professor. As the black hair, silver eyed young man walked further into the office, the professor's expression darkened. Regulus had become remarkably similar looking to his older brother in recent years. However the exact moment the headmaster realized which Black brother was in his office was quite clear. "What could a young death eater such as yourself possibly want from me?" the professor continued.

"I come in peace professor, I am seeking only information that will be difficult to acquire elsewhere" Regulus replied.

"Well it is clear you have no ill intent towards anyone at Hogwarts at this time, as you were able to make it onto the grounds without the need of a visit to St. Mungo's. The wards placed here are very complex and specific in who they will allow admittance. For someone branded with the dark mark to have been allowed in is both curious and more than a little unsettling," the professor stated the last part almost more to himself than to Regulus. "What is the nature of the information in which you seek Mr. Black?"

Regulus vaguely considered pointing out to the headmaster that he had been allowed onto the grounds for a year and a half with the dark mark...as a student, but refrained. Admitting that would not help anything. Instead he stated,

"I wish to know everything you can tell me about Lord Voldemort, Sir."

"A death eater that dare speaks his master's name, how curious indeed. Could it be that you are having doubts as to where your loyalties lie, Mr. Black?"

"My loyalties are my own sir. I am simply inquiring about history. Who was he before he became known as Lord Voldemort? Where did he grow up? Who were his parents? Anything and everything you can tell me, would be helpful, sir."

Dumbledore steepled his fingers and silently observed Regulus with his piercing gaze for a long time. Regulus grew impatient and fought off the feeling that he was a misbehaving student about to receive detention, but also remained silent. Finally Dumbledore seemed to reach a decision.

"Normally I would not provide any information to someone who could use it against the regime that is fighting Voldemort. However I can't see how the information you are requesting could harm our efforts. It may actually benefit you to know more about the one you have vowed allegiance to. I am sure you are aware however that Voldemort is a master legilimens. I don't imagine he will take too kindly to anyone looking into his heritage" Dumbledore stated with an ironic smile.

"No need to worry about that professor. Sirius and I were tutored in the mind arts beginning when I was seven years old. Anything I want to hide I will be able to," _unless of course Voldemort deems me no longer a faithful servant and tortures me into madness. He could get anything he wanted to know at that point. _Regulus silently finished to himself.

"Very well then Mr. Black, I will share with you what I know with the condition that you will keep what I tell you to yourself. After all, it would not do well for Voldemort to know how much of his past I know."

To this Regulus agreed and so began the tale of Tom Riddle. From his humble beginnings as the son of a near squib pureblood in Merope Gaunt. How she hoodwinked a muggle into marriage (Regulus let out a bark of laughter upon hearing the leader of pureblood supremacy was a half blood). Tom Riddle Sr's abandonment of Merope when she was pregnant with Tom Riddle Jr. Riddle Jr. having been born and raised in a muggle orphanage. The speculation that the children in the orphanage were afraid of Riddle, and the fact that Riddle had control over his magic before even learning he was a wizard seemed to indicate that he had been manipulating the muggle children that resided there.

Dumbledore then skipped ahead a few years in his tale to the suspicious murder of Tom Riddle Sr. and his parents during Tom Riddle Jr's 7th year at Hogwarts. How he requested a teaching position upon graduating, which was declined. That he turned down several apprenticeship opportunities and instead took a position at Borgin and Burkes before returning to Hogwarts to apply yet again for the DADA position. To Dumbledore's surprise it was Riddle's former job with Borgin and Burkes that piqued Regulus' attention.

"Did he seem to have an appreciation for objects of historical value then?"

"I suppose you could say that. He was a bit of a collector of trinkets at any rate. He had been caught stealing things from the other children at his orphanage."

"What about the Gaunt family? You said all of the family money had been squandered long before Merope came about. Were there any family heirlooms that may have been in their possession? Anything of historical value?"

"Any particular reason you ask?"

"Only out of curiosity" Regulus lied thinking of the locket in the cave Kreacher had told him about. Looking up he saw that Dumbledore was looking at him skeptically. He smiled charmingly before adding, "I've always had an appreciation of historical artefacts, sir."

Dumbledore seemed to ponder this for a few moments before responding,

"Despite having lived in shambles I'm inclined to think that if the Gaunt's owned any valuable family heirlooms they would have kept them. They were very proud of their blood purity and heritage. There is a locket that belonged to Salazar Slytherin, whom the Gaunts are directly descended from, however as to the location of the locket I do not know."

Regulus mentally smiled at this. He had a pretty good idea of where that locket was.

On a hunch Regulus asked, "What of the other founders? Are there any artifacts of theirs that have survived over the years?"

After learning about a certain cup of Helga Hufflepuff-which fit the description of a cup his cousin Bellatrix had bragged to him of "Having the honor of being asked to keep safe by The Dark Lord himself!", a long lost diadem of Ravenclaw and learning that the only remaining artifact of Gryffindor was a century ago lost sword, Regulus bid his farewell to his former headmaster.

Just as Regulus was about to descend the staircase Dumbledore spoke again, "Mr. Black, are you sure there isn't anything further you wish to discuss? Perhaps I could be of more assistance to you if you told me what instigated your interest into Tom Riddle's Past."

"No, Sir, nothing at all. I seek knowledge simply for the sake of the knowledge itself. Perhaps you remember it was often suggested I would have made a good Ravenclaw?" Regulus asked evasively.

"Yes, of course I remember. Professor Flitwick was especially put out not to have had you in his house. However Mr. Black I feel it pertinent to tell you that The Order has means to protect you, should you find that your loyalties have shifted." Dumbledore tried again. He very much wanted to find out what had triggered this meeting. The Black family was notoriously secretive and it was obvious that its youngest member was hiding something.

"That won't be necessary, sir. That was not what this meeting was about. I appreciate you entertaining my questions this evening. Good night, sir".

"Good night Mr. Black"

**Thanks for reading! Please let me know if you liked or hated, all feedback is appreciated!**


	2. Regulus' Musings

**I own nothing of course.**

Regulus Black sat elegantly in an arm chair near the fireplace in the expansive Black family library. So immersed he was in his books he did not immediately notice Kreacher's sudden appearance. It was only after the house elf placed a tray of sandwiches and a cup of warm tea on the nearby table that Regulus became aware of his presence,

"Hello Kreacher"

"Master Regulus forgets to eat. Kreacher brings food so that Master does not have to stop his research. Master is much too thin. Kreacher wishes Master would eat more" the small house elf stated sadly with his oversized ears drooping.

Regulus had in fact forgotten to eat, which had become increasingly less uncommon of late. Regulus was also painfully aware that Kreacher was likely the only one in the house who truly cared about him, hell the elf had practically raised him. It was for this reason that Regulus always went out of his way to make the house elf feel appreciated.

"So a compromise it is then." Regulus replied with a smile, while reaching for a sandwich. "Thank you Kreacher"

The house elf smiled brilliantly before seeing which book the Black heir was reading and then frowning,

"Master is researching the charm to make the dark mark again?"

"Yes Kreacher, the link I have with the dark lord is truly fascinating. I wish to know all I can about it"

"The last time master researched his mark Master threw books"

"Ah, not my finest moment Kreacher" Regulus grinned, "It is nothing to worry about though I assure you. I certainly have no plans to throw anything today, however since you are worried you may be dismissed. Thank you again for lunch Kreacher."

Kreacher bowed before leaving the library. What Kreacher said was true, Regulus mused. Immediately after being branded with the dark mark, researching all he could about the different variations of the Protean charm had become an obsession of Regulus'. However the more he delved into his research the less enthralled the Black heir became with his new master. While he did not think himself quite as vain as his brother, he did feel that the mark was not only incredibly unattractive but also inconvenient for anyone trying to pass themselves off as a regular citizen. It was only a matter of time before the existence of the mark would become common knowledge to the aurors. Only time would tell how much more difficult that would make his life. Not to mention it burned like hell whenever he was summoned, and prickled annoyingly anytime the dark lord was in a particularly bad mood, which seemed to be most of the time.

Regulus had first began his research out of fascination for anything and everything that encompassed being a death eater and the dark lord himself. He thought at the time that his interest in discovering all he could about the mark was likely reciprocated by the other more clever death eaters and even considered asking his cousin what she had learned about it. Blessedly he had decided to wait until he had a reasonable amount of information on the charm before broaching the subject.

It was during the time of his quiet research and observation of the others that he began to realize the majority of the death eaters were nothing but sheep. They did anything asked of them without a single thought for themselves. It was disgusting and often times plain cowardly. Of course the alternative was to be tortured brutally, usually with an audience so as to make an example of what the price of insolence was…so he couldn't completely blame them. Still he couldn't help but wish that others would do more thinking for themselves and conduct their own research. If they did they would find out some of the same things Regulus learned. Such as the fact that the mark drains bits of magic from all who are branded. The leached magic is supplied to the castor, in this case Voldemort, thus making all of his followers magically weaker than before they joined his ranks. As the majority of death eaters joined with ambition to become more powerful, Regulus had his doubts that many others had come to this realization.

Regulus himself became more than a little disgusted with what all else the mark entailed. Concluding that Voldemort designed his charm in such a way that no wizard other than Voldemort himself could remove it. Also that it was painful not because it actually had to be, but because Voldemort was a sadistic bastard that enjoyed inflicting pain on others regardless of whether they were loyal to his cause or not. Regulus had then decided he probably was in fact the only death eater who bothered to research the extensiveness of the charm behind the mark they all wore on their left forearms. Had any of them been aware of the limitations their marks bestowed upon them, some would likely have exemplified more mutinous tendencies. Of course Regulus had enough self-preservation to keep his mouth shut on his findings. Thus the other death eaters remained in the dark and therefore continued to be enamored with the dark lord. The majority of them would kill anyone without hesitation should anyone dare accuse Voldemort of such indiscretions towards his followers. Regulus gave up his research shortly after making these connections.

Then came the incident. Near the end of the first meeting following Regulus' graduation from Hogwarts, Voldemort stated that he was in need of an elf. By this time Regulus had become nervous that his loyalties would soon be tested and promptly offered Kreacher up for the task. He ordered Kreacher to do exactly as Voldemort said and then to come straight home afterwards. While he was nervous for his beloved house elf, he foolishly did not think Voldemort would actually harm Kreacher, as he had implied that he would merely be borrowing the elf. However several hours later found a nervous Regulus pacing in his room waiting for the return of said house elf. Regulus finally gave up and, consequences be damned, summoned Kreacher. A soaking wet, gasping for breath and completely distraught Kreacher apparated in front of him.

After the conjuring of some warm tea and blankets and much patience from Regulus, Kreacher was able to tell his story. Perhaps even worse than the awful potion Kreacher was forced to drink that made him feel as if he were burning from the inside out was the monologue he had had to endure. The elf had no choice but to listen as Voldemort bragged about how he had cleverly managed to turn his ancestor's locket into a horcrux, of all things. He 'complimented' Kreacher, for 'what an honor it is to assist in the testing of the protections surrounding The Dark Lord's horcrux'. Voldemort then fell into a fit a laughter before climbing into a boat and sailing away leaving Kreacher behind on an island to die. Or so he thought. Honestly did the man know nothing about elf magic?

After Regulus managed to get Kreacher to sleep he vowed to himself that he would never excessively harm an innocent being, simply because Voldemort told him to. If someone were attacking him sure, that would be self-defense, but more often than not the murders and torture carried out by the death eaters were not calculated or even for the benefit of their supposed cause. They were often random, and designed as fear tactics for those not sympathetic to their cause. It was not uncommon for the attacks to be simply in retaliation of someone having insulted Voldemort's rather fragile ego.

Regulus had been successful thus far with keeping his hands relatively clean. He had not been given a direct order to cast an unforgiveable and had avoided using them so far. Having joined the death eaters when he was sixteen, Regulus still had 'the trace' on him. This meant he could hardly go about casting unforgiveables or other excessively dark magic without alerting the ministry not only that he was death eater but also the location of wherever the death eaters happened to be attacking. When Regulus turned seventeen he was still in his last year at Hogwarts and thus still under the ever watchful eye of Dumbledore. He was often nothing more than a tag along at many of the raids he went to, standing guard or occasionally casting anti-apparition wards. While Regulus feigned exasperation for being 'useless' to the cause during this time, he was secretly grateful for the reprieve.

The other death eaters more than made up for his lack of blood lust and cast their curses with flourish. While Regulus was well aware that standing by and allowing others to partake in such cruelty was wrong, cowardly even, he already knew he was no hero. What worried him most was that he knew it was only a matter of time before he would be given a direct order that would go against what his conscience told him was acceptable. This would force him to leave the gray area for which he had been treading since joining the death eaters, and perhaps even before then. As it stood, he knew there were some orders he would rather die than fulfill. Which was appropriate seeing as some of the things he was considering doing would likely result in his death. Despite this, he felt his chances of survival went up substantially if he could find a way to properly alter the dark mark branded into his forearm.

As Regulus continued to become ever less enamored with the dark lord, he also became more pensive of the disparities between his family's beliefs and hard facts. For instance, his cousin Andromeda had married a mudblood and was blasted off of the family tapestry because of it. His parents were convinced any spawn of that union would be squibs for certain. That did not hold true. Regulus had since learned that his cousin and her husband had a daughter, now around five years old. Not only is this young half- blood undoubtedly a witch, she is also a metamorphagus. A trait that traditionally ran prominently in the Black family gene pool, though it had not been seen in over a century. His mother became quite infuriated with him when he pointed this out to her.

Once some of Regulus' anger subsided following the cave incident, Regulus found his mind wandering back to his research on the Protean charm. After Voldemort's gross underestimation of Kreacher's abilities, Regulus thought it likely that Voldemort may have discounted other magical creature's abilities as well. While no wizard could remove his mark he thought it possible other magical beings would not have such restrictions. He did not want to involve Kreacher as it was in everyone's best interest if he were continued to be believed dead, especially Voldemort. Not to mention the elf had become quite twitchy since that particular incident.

Regulus had since been researching goblin magic. This is what had led Regulus to be in the library on this day. He had been cross referencing what he could find in the library on goblin magic with what he already researched regarding the Protean charm. After finding nothing to contradict his theory that goblins may be able to manipulate the mark, Regulus wrote a quick letter to the Black account manager at Gringott's requesting a meeting. The goblins would not take a side in the war but he was confident that should he, the heir to the largest fortune in Britain request help he would get it, for a steep price, but help nonetheless.

Feeling lighter than he had in weeks Regulus went upstairs to the owl room where he greeted his beautiful eagle owl, Vega. After gingerly stroking her feathers for a moment and explaining where his letter needed to go, he gently attached the letter and sent her on her way.

**Please review, thanks for reading!**


	3. Meetings

**I don't own anything that you recognize (of course you already know that...) Please remember that for all chapters in case I ever forget to disclose that statement-**

One week after sending his letter to Gringotts found Regulus Black leaving a meeting with his account manager, Ragnok, overloaded with information and more than a little nervous. His theory had been that the goblins would not be able to remove the dark mark entirely but may be able to transfer it to another vessel. According to Ragnok, his theory was correct. An ancient ritual could be performed by the goblins to transfer the mark. The problem was that the vessel most likely to accept the transfer would be another living wizard, as that was what the original charm was designed for.

This was problematic for several reasons. The first being that no one would ever volunteer for such a ridiculous suicide mission, (not to mention that Regulus would never lower himself to ask anyone for help on such a level). Another option was to lure a wizard to the ritual site and then overpower them with the imperious curse or by similar means. However, Regulus felt that if he was willing to inflict the wrath of Voldemort onto another individual in that way then he truly did belong with the death eaters. After all, what could invoke more torture on an individual than bearing the message that not only had one the death eaters defected, but they had also found a way to rid themselves of the dark mark altogether. Regulus was interested in a much more subtle betrayal. Transferring the mark to another individual could never be hidden forever. Even if said person ignored being summoned eventually the dark lord would go after them. By use of the mark to trace their location, he would discover the transfer. No, this was not an option for Regulus.

Knowing that Ragnok was sworn by oath to secrecy for all matters concerning the Black's affairs, Regulus asked Ragnok if the mark could be transferred to any other soul containing vessels. Ragnok alluded that there were a couple of objects that might work but that they were extremely rare and even more dark. Thinking that description seemed fitting, he asked whether a horcrux was one of those items. At first Ragnok was horrified that Regulus asked this, having drawn the conclusion that Regulus had already or was planning to make one. After assuring the goblin that this was not the case the goblin calmed down considerably.

Ragnok then explained that a horcrux did hold some of the properties required for the transfer. However the volatile nature of a horcrux would likely cause it to fight off any external manipulations. Ragnok further explained that success would be far more likely if it was the first horcrux made by a particular wizard. With each new horcrux creation the soul would become even less stable, thereby making each new horcrux even more volatile than the last. At the conclusion of their meeting Ragnok stated that he could make no guarantees to anything, except that the process would be very painful. Ragnok also cautioned that while it was possible that all would go without a hitch, the Black heir really should consider this option only as a last resort.

Regulus had just about reached The Leaky Cauldron when he felt his mark burn signaling a summons from the dark lord. He quickly apparated to their meeting place.

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><p>Sirius Black was lounging back so far in his chair that the two front legs were off of the ground. They had all been gathered for a meeting of The Order of the Phoenix. This time the meeting was being held at Hogwarts in the Headmaster's office as the majority of students were home for the Christmas holidays.<p>

Right now he was listening to a report being given by the Prewett twins about the casualties of the most recent death eater attacks. It was incredibly frustrating. It seemed every time they were called into a fight with the death eaters they were too late to provide any real assistance. The death eaters worked quickly enough and were destructive enough that the damage in most cases had already been done prior to when any Order members arrived on the scene. However if the death eaters were a step ahead of the Order they were leaps and bounds ahead of the ministry, who practically turned a blind eye on the doings of the death eaters these days.

After another speech about 'constant vigilance' the meeting was adjourned. While some of the members left, many had congregated with the intent of walking into Hogsmeade together for a few drinks. Sirius was in the latter group. Just as the group was leaving Sirius felt as if someone was watching him. When he turned, he found that Dumbledore in fact seemed to be trying to catch his eye.

"Good evening Mr. Black. I wondered if you would mind to hang back for a moment. It will not take long and then you will be able to enjoy your evening as you wish.

"Sure thing Professor"

After a quick goodbye to James, Lily, and Remus, Sirius took a seat opposite Dumbledore's desk feeling very much like a marauder awaiting sentencing.

Once the other Order members filed out Professor Dumbledore spoke,

"Mr. Black I'm sure you are wondering why I have asked you to meet with me this evening."

Sirius nodded at this statement. Dumbledore steepled his fingers and observed his former student for a moment before continuing.

"Mr. Black, I wondered whether you might have been in contact with your brother recently."

Whatever Sirius was expecting, it wasn't that, "R-Regulus?"

"That is your brother is it not?" Dumbledore replied amusedly.

This however angered Sirius and he immediately became defensive.

"Only by birth, sir. No I haven't spoken to Regulus since I moved out of our parents' house when I was sixteen."

"What a shame that is dear boy. I fear this war is hardest for those whose families are split-" Dumbledore began sadly before being interrupted.

"Regulus is not my family, I was disowned. James is the only brother I've ever had worth mentioning. After I was sorted into Gryffindor our dear parents did all they could to ensure their precious Regulus did not follow in my footsteps. He was thoroughly brainwashed and ready to become the next perfect pureblood Slytherin and future death eater before I returned home for the summer that year.

"Surely you must regret-"

"No, sir. I don't regret it." A part of his heart ached knowing he was lying to the headmaster and maybe even to himself but he carried on as if he did not notice. "I left him behind along with my parents. They constantly compared me to him, their perfect son. He's always done exactly what they wanted him to do. It's no wonder that he should make a good little death eater. He's been mindlessly following orders his entire life. Not that he minds it. I can just see him casting unforgiveables on anyone who annoys him. It would only be fitting, he always did favor Bellatrix and Narcissa over me."

Dumbledore listened to the younger man's tirade with an unreadable expression. After a moment Sirius seemed to remember he was speaking with his former headmaster and not with James or Peter and immediately became embarrassed over his outburst.

"So, um was there a reason you asked about Regulus, sir?"

At that moment there was a loud knock on office door.

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><p><strong>Please let me know what you think of the story so far. Thanks for reading!<strong>


	4. Portkey and Other Things

**I own nothing of course. **

Regulus walked purposefully into the red brick and rather condemned looking building, known by wizards to be St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. He ignored the reception desk and went immediately to the elevator and up to the second floor. When the elevator stopped at his destination a woman's voice announced "Second Floor: Magical Bugs and Diseases". He quickly stepped out of the elevator, turned left and continued his swift walk until he reached a desk. Behind the desk a healer was talking with a brunette apprentice. Regulus hid in the shadows waiting for an opportunity to catch the young woman by herself. He hoped it would be soon. It was only a matter of time before more death eaters showed up which would only make his situation more difficult.

It was fortunate and a bit ironic that Regulus knew exactly where the young apprentice would be. For he had memorized the itinerary for first year healing apprenticeships with this particular girl, Rachel Candor. If things had been a little different Regulus himself would likely have been training at the hospital now instead of hiding in the shadows. When he was younger he studied all he could about healing magic and had every intention to study healing once he left Hogwarts. His parents had even approved of his aspirations at first, which was surprising seeing as they rarely approved of anything actually worthy of approval.

When Sirius moved out he took Regulus' dreams of becoming a healer with him. His father told him that as the heir he would be far too busy managing the Black's affairs to hold any job nearly as demanding as that of a mediwizard. His mother told him it would be shameful for the heir to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black to pursue a career at all. "It would look as if the Black family is not successful enough to thrive on our own investments if the heir seeks outside income".

Regulus may have considered pursuing healing despite his parent's wishes had he not joined the death eaters. As it was he doubted he could have handled the responsibilities of an apprenticeship with his current… responsibilities. That didn't stop him from taking all of the classes he would have needed to enter the program while he was at Hogwarts. He had excelled in all subjects and finished second in his year, only after the young woman he was now quietly observing.

As Regulus watched her he couldn't help the feeling of melancholy that swept over him. He was too far away to hear what she and the mediwizard were discussing but it was obvious the girl was listening with rapt attention, desperate not to miss any details. He knew that look well. Regulus had seen it often in classes and when they had studied together. He had even managed to illicit that same look from her on a couple of occasions when he had explained a particularly difficult concept of Arithmancy or Ancient Runes to her.

Regulus was pulled out of his own thoughts when Rachel began walking in his general direction. Unaware of his presence, she nearly screamed out when he grabbed her arm, but caught herself when she saw who it was that had grabbed her. Her mouth opened into small "o" as she stared at him. He could hardly blame her for staring. The last time they had seen each other was six months ago right before their graduation ceremony, when they broke up.

In truth, they never should have been together in the first place. He was already a death eater by the time they got together and she did not share his views on pureblood supremacy. They both knew their relationship had an expiration date as neither of their parents would ever approve of the other. That didn't stop them from dating from their second term of sixth year until graduation.

Regulus attempted to smile at her but it came out as more of a grimace. Neither of them said anything, they merely stood looking at each other. After a moment Regulus opened his mouth to say something in hopes of easing some of the awkwardness of the situation, but was interrupted by the sounds of screaming and obvious destruction from the first floor. He took that moment to shove a galleon into her palm, before bolting down the hallway presumably to join the fray. A bewildered Rachel stared after him failing to notice that the galleon had begun glowing blue. She did not realize she was holding a port key until after she felt herself being pulled away from the hospital.

Regulus burst through the door to the stairwell nearly crashing into two masked death eaters, one of which shouted,

"Where have you been? We are supposed to get in and out of here before anyone notices us!"

"I've been waiting on you. And really, Rabastan? What was all of that racket from a minute ago then?"

"Oh, ha I saw a Hufflepuff mudblood from my year downstairs. Couldn't resist."

The third member of the trio was Regulus' best friend Evan Rosier. He was looking at Regulus rather intently though his expression was indecipherable through the mask he wore. Evan remained silent during his comrades' exchange but had likely figured out the reason for Regulus' absence as only he could. Evan was one of very few people that knew of Regulus' past relationship with Rachel.

Their mission was to capture a highly esteemed Mediwizard, Healer Brocklehurst, from the curse breaker unit. They were to disarm him and then send him directly to the headquarters by port key. The abducted healer would then be given the "option" of joining the death eaters and using his expertise however Voldemort sees fit, or else be murdered by him. Throughout the hospital other death eaters were attempting to accomplish similar feats with their own assigned healers.

A second group of death eaters were scheduled to make an appearance at any moment. That group did not have to be as stealthy as the first, as the healers that were to be abducted should already be gone by the time the second group arrives. The intent of the second group of death eater's was to cause as much damage to the hospital as possible. Thereby making the loss of St Mungos' best healers all the greater. Regulus found the entire plan sickening, but followed his comrades up the stairs all the same.

Upon entering the curse unit it was obvious their presence in the hospital had not gone unnoticed. There was no one in sight and it was eerily quiet. The trio kept to the shadows as much as possible. They crept silently through the unit searching for their assigned victim. It appeared all of the residents of the ward had been magically sealed into their rooms. Regulus was relieved that neither of his companions seemed inclined to further harm any of them, at least for the time being. That relief was short lived, however as the familiar cackle belonging to his cousin Bellatrix was heard echoing from around the corner.

The trio quickly followed the screams of agony that could only have been elicited from one experiencing the torture of the cruciatus curse. When they made their way around the next corner they were able to glimpse the unfortunate individual Bellatrix had found to entertain herself with. Regulus vaguely recognized the male as a former Ravenclaw who graduated sometime in the past couple of years, though Regulus could not recall his name. Judging by his robes, the boy was a healer's apprentice. Secure in the knowledge that nothing could be done to help the poor bloke in Bella's clutches, Regulus signaled for his comrades to follow him. They were running out of time to fulfill their mission.

After continuing to scour the unit the muggle way for a few more minutes, Regulus gave up and cast

"Homenum Revelio". Rays of light shot from the end of his wand and wrapped around his own silhouette as well as Rabastan and Evan's. Additional beams of light traveled to their left and into what looked like a closet.

Rabastan pointed his wand at said door and cast "Bombarda" causing an explosion of splintered wood to go flying in all directions.

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><p>Rachel Candor looked around herself for a moment before recognizing her new location was just outside the gates of Hogwarts. Not having had contact with Regulus for the past six months she was unsure whether his choice in location had any significance. It was most likely the only place he could send her where he knew for certain that she would be safe. Not wanting to linger outside in the middle of winter and desperate to learn what was going on at the hospital, Rachel made haste up to the castle.<p>

As Rachel walked she thought about what had just happened. She had become very close with many of the other apprentices and some of the healers. She hoped that none of them would be seriously injured. She was hopeful Regulus was just being overly cautious in sending her away. He was fiercely protective when it came to those he cared about. The more she thought about the events of the past half hour she became increasingly worried for Regulus. She knew there was rather severe punishment for anyone who disobeyed orders from Voldemort. Somehow she didn't think Regulus had been given orders to make a port key to send a blood traitor apprentice to Hogwart's on a likely unauthorized port key.

When Rachel finally reached the castle she continued to walk in the general direction of the Dumbledore's office. Having not seen anyone apart from students, Rachel approached a certain gargoyle. After guessing the password on her second try she wondered not for the first time whether the esteemed headmaster was entirely sane. He was certainly lax on his own security. No one she knew ever had any trouble guessing the candy of the week to gain access to his office.

As she ascended up the staircase she couldn't help but overhear the raised voice of none other than Sirius Black. The arrogant git was spouting off all sorts of slander about his brother… literally ten seconds after admitting he had not spoken to Reg in nearly four years. Really? How the hell would he even know what his brother is like?

Rachel took a moment to bury her ill feelings towards the idiotic brother on the other side of the door before knocking confidently.

She heard the headmaster's response of "enter" and made her way into the office.

"Ah, good evening Ms. Candor, what a pleasant surprise. Is there something I can help you with or did you merely find yourself feeling a bit nostalgic and in want of a visit to your former school this evening?" Dumbledore greeted politely.

Sirius took one look at the girl who walked in and immediately had to fight a blush from creeping onto his cheeks. He was looking at the only girl in history whom he had ever asked out and been rejected. It wouldn't have been a big deal if she would have politely told him she wasn't interested or that she had a boyfriend. He could have accepted that. Sure he probably would have asked her twenty questions as to why she wasn't interested when every other girl in the entire school was falling over themselves to be with him- but he would have gotten over it. In fact any other form of rejection he was pretty sure he would have gotten over by now. But not Candor's.

She laughed. As if it was the most amusing proposition she had ever heard in her life. Oh sure, it was only for a moment and then she immediately tried to apologize for it. "You just surprised me that's all" she had said. What was so bloody surprising about him asking her out? She was beautiful. It wasn't exactly a secret that he enjoyed the company of beautiful young women. Naturally he thought she had just been embarrassed or something, she probably didn't get asked out very often being a Ravenclaw and all. So he asked her, "so was that a yes then?" She promptly made up all sorts of ridiculous excuses about having plans to study and some other such rubbish. He wasn't really listening to her at that point. He had just been turned down for the first and possibly only time in his life. He had rather hoped he would never see her again, yet here she was.

Due to the emotional upheaval caused by Candor's arrival, Sirius missed the conversation that transpired between the other two in the room. However Sirius was pulled out of his musings when he saw Professor Dumbledore approach one the many portraits on the wall and overheard him begin discussing an attack at St Mungos. He swiftly jumped out of his seat and faced the newest arrival and demanded,

"What's going on at St Mungos?"

"I take it you weren't listening then? Even though you were sitting right there when-"

"What's going on? Sirius demanded again.

Rachel raised an elegant eyebrow before responding cooly, "Death eater attack. Professor Dumbledore is trying to find out-"

"I'm going"

"What? Professor Dumbledore is trying to find out more of what's going on before he sends anyone out."

"I'm going. Now. This is why we can never catch the death eaters doing anything. We take too bloody long trying to get details."

"You should at least wait for back-up-" Rachel tried again but Sirius was already halfway out the door.

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	5. Brotherly Love

**I do not own Harry Potter.**

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><p>Regulus, Evan and Rabastan approached the site of explosion to find three figures huddled together in the closet. The three victims had all inflicted various levels of injury resulting from Rabastan's spell. Evan quickly disarmed the unfortunate trio. The wizard in lime green robes was quickly identified as Healer Brocklehurst. The remaining witch and wizard were not wearing distinguishing colored robes to identify their status. Not feeling like dealing with them otherwise, Regulus quickly bound them with a nonverbal "incarcerous" and prepared to port key away with Healer Brockelhurst.<p>

Just as the port key had been activated a new presence made itself known. Regulus was forced to dive to the floor to avoid a flash of red light that had been coming straight at him. He quickly regained his balance, only to have to dodge another string of hexes. After casting a strong shield around himself, Regulus was able to identify that his attacker happened to be his brother.

Regulus absently wondered whether Sirius knew who he was when he began his assault or if it was a coincidence. He suspected the latter as it seemed Evan had also been forced to let go of the port key. Regulus was relieved Rabastan had managed to leave with Healer Brockelhurst. The younger Lestrange brother would not have hesitated before throwing killing curses with flourish.

Having missed their port key, Evan and Regulus had no choice but to actively engage in battle with Sirius. They were fairly evenly matched 2 against 1, partly because Sirius was an excellent duelist. It also didn't hurt that Evan was taking a cue from Regulus and not using any excessively damaging spells on the older Black. Knowing the anti-apparition wards were still firmly in place, Regulus and Evan began discreetly inching their way towards the emergency exit of the building. They would have to make their escape the muggle way if the wards weren't lifted soon. Regulus usually had contingency plans for situations like these, however this time he had given his emergency port key to Rachel and hadn't had time to make another.

Just as Regulus was approaching the exit of the curse unit, his way became blocked. Thinking it likely to be more members of the Order he cast a silent shield around himself. He was surprised then when half a dozen fellow death eaters stormed into the ward. Where was Sirius' backup? Surely he did not come here alone... Dawning horror settled in the pit of Regulus' stomach as he realized that it would not be out of character for Sirius to have done just that. Likely he had become frustrated with the lack of success the Order and ministry were having with reprehending death eaters and decided to take a more active approach.

Sirius had always acted rashly. It was going to get him into serious trouble one of these days…today apparently. Regulus had thought his brother would have improved his sense of self-preservation seeing as he had managed to survive the war over the past couple years. Clearly Regulus was wrong, Sirius remained as Gryffindor as ever.

Bellatrix seemed to have sensed the impending doom of her most hated cousin and decided to join the gathering.

"Well, well. If it isn't my dearest cousin. Aren't we in a predicament? What has become of the other pathetic vigilantes?" Bellatrix taunted as she stalked towards Sirius. The other death eaters formed a circle around Sirius and several tried to disarm him at the same time which sent his wand flying across the room and out of site.

"Bellatrix, how lovely to see you. You know it really has been too long. I must say the pictures of you in _The Prophet_ do you no justice. You appear far more deranged in person" Sirius replied in what would have been a charming tone had the words not been disdainful.

Regulus rolled his eyes at that knowing his mask would cover it. Leave it Sirius to taunt the most sadistic of the group when he was already outnumbered 9 to 1. Why not throw insult to injury? Though to be fair he did have a point. Bellatrix's hair bore the resemblance of someone who had been electrocuted recently and she was covered in an uncanny amount of someone else's blood. She did in fact look quite deranged. Regulus had to fight off a snort of laughter at that realization. What was wrong with him? Oh right he was about to witness the brutal murder of his only brother. What could be worse than that? His downward spiral of thoughts were interrupted when he realized his cousin was addressing him now.

"Reggie, I think it only fitting for you to be the one to teach Sirius his place, don't you?"

Ah, so things could get worse, fantastic. Sirius was now starring daggers at him as Bellatrix had effectively blown his cover. He discreetly cast a non-verbal 'silencio' on his brother. Nothing Sirius said in this situation would help anyone.

"Perhaps that would be fitting. However, I am of the impression The Dark Lord believes it only a matter of time before Sirius comes to his senses and requests the honor of joining our ranks." Regulus drawled while attempting to sound regretful of having to pass on an opportunity to torture his brother. He must have succeeded because Sirius' glare became even more deadly. A feat Regulus would not have thought possible had he not witnessed it himself. "I fear antagonizing dear Sirius would only further blind him to the truth of where his loyalties should lie."

"Always the voice of reason, Reggie!" Bellatrix cackled. "Very well then, only a brief demonstration of what awaits him should he continue denying his legacy then. After all The Dark Lord has been extremely patient when it comes to you, Sirius. I warn you now his patience is wearing thin. Crucio."

Thankfully no one seemed to notice the delay between when the curse was cast and when Sirius' screams rang out. Regulus was so relieved not to have been ordered to kill his brother he almost forgot to lift his silencing spell. He certainly did not enjoy watching his brother writher in agony, but considering the other options, Regulus considered it a success.

A few moments later all of the death eaters flinched as their left forearms began to burn painfully. Immediately after the air shifted signaling that the anti-apparition wards had been lifted. All of the death eaters immediately apparated back to their master. Sirius missed the synchronism of their actions as his eyes were tightly shut as he laid convulsing on the floor. It was in this position that the other Order members would find him a short time later.

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	6. Holiday Party

**I do not own Harry Potter.**

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><p>With a loud <em>crack, <em>Regulus appeared suddenly in front of the iron gates of Lestrange Manor. After taking a moment to evaluate his surroundings he quickly walked up the path leading to a rather sinister looking mansion. After the formal greetings customary of such an occasion were made, Regulus promptly approached the nearest house elf and politely accepted the strongest drink proffered. He had a feeling he would need it this evening. These walls were sure to play host to only the most elite, and thereby most obnoxious members of pureblood society. He always did loathe holiday parties.

Drink safely in hand, and careful to avoid the plentiful amounts of mistletoe strewn about, the Black heir took off in search of anyone he could tolerate having a conversation with. It was a much harder feat than most would expect of him. He could play the role of a perfect pureblood prince well, when he wanted to.

"Rosier, you look like hell" Regulus smirked before elegantly sitting down beside his friend.

"Mmm" Evan responded noncommittally.

Regulus grimaced, "I take it you went to see your father?"

After a brief pause in which Evan took an enormous gulp of fire whiskey, he replied "Yes, mother and I went yesterday to visit him."

"Well in that case, it's fortunate the ministry is overrun with imbeciles. Otherwise they would never have allowed you to leave" Regulus replied with a smirk.

Evan looked at Regulus in surprise for a moment before laughing loudly and offering a toast, "to the ministry". After a moment he added more soberly, "I'm never ending up in there. I would kill myself first, or better yet let the aurors do it. Them with their "holier than thou" beliefs, at least I know they would be quick about it."

To that Regulus had nothing to say. He had never visited Azkaban before but he had heard enough from Evan's visits to know death likely wasn't any worse.

Regulus was spared from making what would likely have been an insufficient reply when a couple of their former housemates stopped by to greet them momentarily. After a short and overly formal conversation their visitor's bid them a good evening and left to presumably make their rounds amongst the other guests. Regulus vaguely thought that he should be doing the same, but couldn't quite bring himself to care enough to actually do it. His parents had elected to spend the holidays in the south of France this year, allowing Regulus to relax a bit more than normal in the absence of his overbearing mother.

"The Dark Lord is actually staying here now isn't he? Instead of at the Malfoy's?" Evan eventually asked absently.

"Yes, staying in one place for too long could draw unwanted attention to his whereabouts so a change of location was deemed to be in everyone's best interest." Bella had bragged endlessly about this at their family's Christmas Eve dinner last night. All the while Narcissa was positively gleeful of finally having gotten rid of the bastard. Not that she would ever say as much aloud. Her feelings on the matter were obvious if only to those who knew her well enough.

Evan chuckled evilly, "Everyone's best interest, huh? Probably not so much for poor ol' Rodolphus"

"Stop"

"Oh come on "

"Stop"

"You know they've-"

"Silencio." Regulus smirked at the mutinous look on Evan's face. He then froze a moment later when he caught sight of a rather familiar looking rat skittering along the edge of the wall nearest to them.

Evan followed his friend's line of sight but did not understand the potential implications of what he was seeing as Regulus did. The Black heir had the fleeting idea to try to follow the rat, but his self-preservation won out over his curiosity and he settled back into his seat on the couch. Once the silencing spell had been lifted Evan asked what had been so special about the rat. Regulus invented that he was surprised Bella would keep a house elf incapable of keeping away rodents. Evan looked at him skeptically, for he was well aware of his friend's soft spot for house elves, but didn't question him. For that Regulus was grateful. A manor full of death eaters was hardly a place Regulus wanted to discuss potential traitors.

Nearer to midnight found Regulus in one of the more secluded sitting rooms of Lestrange Manor half listening as Narcissa prattled on enthusiastically about the furnishings of the room and some other such mindless chatter. Regulus had been seized by his cousin a while ago on the pretense of her needing to get his opinion on something. Regulus hated to think what the implications would be if anyone inferred that the current topic is what she needed his opinion on.

Regulus actually thought he knew what she wanted to discuss. Lucius undoubtedly would have told her about Sirius' involvement at St. Mungos by now. He was slightly annoyed that she felt the need to baby him, but had long since grown accustomed to this sort of treatment from her.

He was also slightly ashamed of himself for secretly welcoming her feelings of protectiveness towards him. If only because he knew she was his only family member that actually held any love for him. His parents had always been far more interested in ensuring that their heir would maintain their reputation and status in the political realm rather than show him any real affection.

Of his cousins, Bellatrix was ten years older than he was. The age difference was only now beginning to be less obvious, and while he cared about her because she was family, there was no doubt she was slightly unhinged. Andromeda had played with him some when he was younger but had mostly always kept to herself. She had since been disowned for marrying a muggle. Narcissa had been his only relative apart from Sirius still at Hogwarts when he began school. Having grown up with them she knew how close Sirius and Regulus had been. She had been intuitive enough to realize Regulus missed his brother, and had done all she could to help him adjust to his new life at school. Since then, she had become far more like an older sister to him than a cousin.

Finally the other guests of the party congregated into the next room leaving the two cousins alone. Narcissa wasted no time in changing subjects.

"I'm worried for you, Regulus. What if Bella would have ordered you to kill Sirius. Could you have done it?"

Regulus eyed her carefully. Normally he would have feigned indifference before redirecting the conversation elsewhere. Unfortunately it was Narcissa that was asking; she was well versed in the elusive antics of her younger cousin. She also possessed a rather inconvenient knack for refusing to be redirected. Ah well, it was worth a shot.

"That hardly matters now does it? Besides what I said was true. The Dark Lord does wish to recruit Sirius." Taking another bite of truffle he added, "I wonder if the house elves here could teach Kreacher how to make these. They are quite possibly the best thing I've ever tasted."

Narcissa easily ignored his comment about hors d'oeuvres before replying, "You know as well as I do that will never happen. It is only a matter of time before The Dark Lord realizes this as well. What then?"

Regulus remained silent for a while, considering his options. In truth he didn't know what he would do. He knew he would never voluntarily kill Sirius. However he also knew Voldemort was certainly not above placing him under an imperious curse either.

"I don't know, if that happens he may have someone else take him out before I even know about it. There's nothing I can do about it. There really is no use worrying about it before it happens, is there?"

"No, I suppose not. It's just-"

"It's nothing for you to worry about Cissy," Regulus stated firmly. "Stress can't be good for the baby, and there are plenty of other things you have to worry about now without adding me to the list. Whatever happens, I will be fine. Please just take care of yourself, and I'll do the same. I'm not eleven years old anymore, and you can't always protect me. Though I do appreciate the effort," he smiled.

Whatever Narcissa was about to say was interrupted by a slightly drunken Lucius Malfoy nearly shouting, "There you are my love!" Hello Regulus. I hope you don't mind if I steal away my wife. It's almost midnight after all. I daresay you would have no problem commandeering yourself one of the other more available ladies here tonight if you so choose". Much to her embarrassment, Lucius snatched Narcissa up and away from Regulus and began dancing with her around the room to the beat of the music playing in the next room.

Regulus quietly bid them goodnight and excused himself, though he doubted either of them heard him. Looking at his watch he decided it was an acceptable time to begin making his rounds saying goodbye and Merry Christmas and began doing so. Shortly after he left, relieved things did not go nearly as badly as they could have.

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><p><strong>Please let me know what you think. Thank you for reading!<strong>


	7. Patrol and Loyalties

**I do not own anything as you already know.**

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><p>The evening following Christmas found Regulus in the Yaxley family home, awaiting orders for the evening's patrol. He was joined shortly thereafter by Augustus Rookwood, a former Slytherin that graduated in Sirius' year. The latter currently worked as an unspeakable at the ministry. As an unspeakable the details of his job could not be fully disclosed, however the general public believed him to be a key member in the fight against 'the dark side'.<p>

"Rookwood" Regulus inclined his head slightly in greeting.

"Good evening, Black."

"I find myself wondering, how our esteemed ministry's regime opposing dark forces is doing. Have you managed to snatch many evil wrongdoers?" Regulus asked in falsely innocent voice.

Rookwood smirked before replying in a passable tone of remorse, "A few. Regretfully none of whom seem to be behind the greatest threat to our peace. The death eaters have become most elusive as of late."

_The Prophet_ was filled with arrests of alleged death eaters. It was all fabrication and false trails of course. Any news regarding the very few death eaters that had been captured had been circumvented by Voldemort's allies at the newspaper and other news sources. It was believed to be only a matter of time before Voldemort would be having those followers released. Whether it would be done by force or by heavy persuasion was as of yet unknown.

"How terribly rude of them." Not remembering Rookwood being at any nightly patrols before Regulus asked, "This is new for you isn't it?"

"Yes, typically I do not participate in these patrols so as to be visible to the public during as many death eater activities as possible. Less likely to draw suspicion you see."

"That makes sense" Regulus replied absently. He had always been a bit wary of Rookwood. After all, being an unspeakable was an excellent cover for hiding things. Then realizing he couldn't care less about that, and because Rookwood had always been decent to him added, "It will depend on the mood of the senior death eater leading of course, but patrols are usually pretty straightforward. We will fly through the major wizarding communities and be spotted by as many people as possible. It seems as though there are more of us the more often we are sighted after all. As far as conduct, yelling out crude comments, and threats are acceptable; hexing at random is encouraged. So long as you don't break formation everything should go smoothly enough."

"Thanks," Rookwood smiled faintly.

Regulus nodded in acknowledgment.

During their conversation several other death eaters had gathered. Everyone's attention was soon drawn to Bellatrix's verbal assault on Severus Snape's "lack of personal hygiene and even dirtier blood". Regulus observed the scene with his ever present neutral expression firmly in place. He wondered not for the first time why Severus decided to join the death eaters.

The lure of the dark arts Regulus could understand. He was a Black after all. He had studied his family's exceptionally dark grimoires from a precariously young age. Knowing from experience that the wards in Grimmauld Place made it impossible for the trace charm to work properly, his parents had given him his Grandfather Arcturus' old wand and allowed him to practice basic spells at home long before ever turning eleven.

It was Black family tradition for lessons in the dark arts to begin after the second full year of schooling. While Sirius had no qualms about using magic outside of school he detested learning the dark arts. He would often get into vehement arguments with their parents over it. Regulus could never see why he didn't just do as they asked while in their presence and then forget about it in their absence. It wasn't as if they could force him use the spells in a duel if he didn't want to.

While Regulus had not yet cast an unforgiveable curse, he could never have been what many consider a "light" wizard, even before joining the death eaters. He had learned magic dark enough to rival the grisliness of the unforgiveables. Ancient spells were taught to him from the grimoires of his ancestors. Spells that would most assuredly be illegal, had the ministry known of their existence. Regulus had been fascinated by all of it. However, after joining the death eaters he soon realized the disparities between reading the results of such obscure spell work from a book and actually witnessing the results of them in person.

Snape on the other hand was a half blood. He had spent the majority of Regulus' first four years at Hogwarts fawning over a Gryffindor mudblood, much to the contempt of his housemates. Unlike most of the other death eaters, Regulus had never observed him using an unforgiveable curse, aside from when commanded to do so. Throw in that most of the death eaters treated him like filth, and that one of the primary goals of the death eaters was to create a government in which purebloods ruled. Yes, Regulus was thoroughly baffled as to why Severus had ever joined in the first place.

While Regulus remained impartial regarding the enigma that was Severus Snape, he was all too familiar with his cousin's antics. He also knew no one else would intercede on Snape's behalf, some because they were intimidated by Bellatrix and others because they found Snape's torment amusing.

"Bella, I take it you are to be our illustrious leader on patrol this evening?" Regulus asked conversationally.

"Surely you realize by now cousin, I would never follow orders from anyone but The Dark Lord himself. As he is not here then yes of course I am in charge."

"Wonderful. I notice we have a larger number than normal. Am I right to assume you have something special planned?"

Bellatrix smiled mysteriously, "Now baby Reggie, you wouldn't want to spoil the surprise would you?" Regulus smiled indulgently, despite his mental grimace as Bellatrix pinched his cheek.

"Please do Bella, you know I loathe surprises."

Bellatrix feigned exasperation before raising her voice to address the room at large. With a tone of manic glee she declared "We will be taking a shorter route this evening. A rat has let slip where we might find some Order members on this fine night. Let's go." Bellatrix finished, eyes glinting maliciously.

The gathered death eaters filed out of the house and into the yard. After taking their places in rank, they all mounted their brooms and followed Bellatrix on a route of her creation.

Their mere presence in the villages they passed caused noticeable disquiet amongst the residents. Those who were caught outdoors immediately sought cover and those who noticed them from windows quickly drew their blinds. Finally Bellatrix indicated for them to be silent as they prepared to make their descent.

Upon landing they all ducked into an alleyway and shrunk their brooms before pocketing them. Looking around himself Regulus recognized the large and distinguished houses surrounding them as part of one of London's older neighborhoods, not far from Grimmauld Place.

Bellatrix separated them into different groups and assigned each to either to storm a designated entrance on her signal, to cast anti-apparition wards or to stand back and catch any victims who might try to make an escape. Regulus was assigned to storm a side entrance with Rookwood and an unknown masked accomplice. As he had not spoken and was visibly shaken Regulus guessed he was probably a new recruit.

The trio silently took their position near their assigned door, hidden behind some rather imposing shrubbery. A few minutes later, red sparks were shot up in the air giving them their signal. A moment later the air shifted indicating the anti-apparition wards had been placed.

Regulus cast an "expulso" at the door which effectively opened it, as well as blowing up much of the room within. Raids were not meant to be subtle after all. The trio made their way into the house and found themselves to be in an empty kitchen. Judging by sound, the majority of occupants in the house were battling in a front room. The three death eaters carefully made their way in that direction so as to join the fray.

Upon entering the battle, Regulus was immediately engaged by one of the Prewett twins, much to his chagrin. He had been hoping to find Pettigrew, as he was almost certain the rat was a traitor. After successfully knocking the twin unconscious, Regulus was immediately tackled by the other Prewett brother.

As Regulus fought to avoid the twin's fist and attempt to get upright he couldn't help but be slightly impressed. Rash as it was, the twin must have seen enough of the battle between his brother and Regulus to realize he didn't stand much of a chance against the death eater in a duel. Unfortunately for Regulus, muggle methods of fighting were most certainly not his forte. Blessedly someone, he suspected Evan, noticed his predicament and quickly immobilized the redhead. Regulus quickly regained a standing position in as dignified a manner as possible.

From this newly standing position Regulus glimpsed his brother with his back to him battling with two death eaters. Regulus tore his eyes away from their battle to look for another Order member to engage. It was at that moment he witnessed a fellow death eater casting the killing curse directly at Sirius' back. It was as if in slow motion that green light shot out the death eater's wand.

Without even thinking of the consequences, Regulus acted on instinct and did the only thing he could think of that might help. Putting every ounce of magic he possessed into the spell, he managed to conjure a stone shield in front of his brother.

As the stone was hit by the curse it crumpled and sent the spell ricocheting into the wall rather harmlessly. Unfortunately for Regulus his intervention had not gone unnoticed. Perhaps it was that in his anguish he had stupidly shouted out Sirius' name, and had thereby gained the attention of the majority in the room.

If the situation were any less grim Regulus would have been ornately proud of himself. He had never heard of anyone effectively blocking a killing curse before. Naturally he had researched potential methods for doing so and knew that one could be shielded behind certain inanimate objects, such as stone. However this had been his first opportunity to test whether the conjured version of stone would be as effective as that which occurs naturally. However as the death eaters closed ranks around him he realized none of that really mattered at the moment.

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	8. Proposition

**I do not own anything.**

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><p>Regulus' first instinct had been to grab his emergency portkey and make a run for it. However, this thought was fleeting, as the more reasonable part of his brain told him to remain calm and go willingly with the other death eaters. Punished as he would be upon meeting Voldemort, running would mean imminent death upon capture. He also knew he would be caught quickly as he could still be tracked through his damnable dark mark.<p>

As the majority of fighting had ceased by this point, Regulus was escorted by no fewer than five death eaters to outside the anti-apparition wards. If he hadn't been fighting to keep bile from rising in his throat he might have been pleased to know his abilities were respected enough to warrant such a guard. However as he had shown no visible inclination to flee, he thought it more likely that the attention seeking death eaters thought they would be rewarded 'for catching a traitor' or something along those lines.

Just before leaving the house he glanced back at his brother and noted the befuddled look on the older Black's face. It saddened Regulus that Sirius was of all things, surprised by the intervention. As though he expected it more likely for Regulus to stand aside and watch his brother be murdered. Though to be fair he had implied as much at St. Mungo's only a week ago.

Upon arriving at Lestrange Manor, Regulus was shepherded immediately to the Dark Lord and unceremoniously thrown at his feet. All of the captors promptly knelt before their beloved leader. Regulus regained his balance with as much poise as possible, before also kneeling. He immediately pushed all of his feelings of love for Sirius and anyone else he cared for into the back of his mind behind the strongest occlumency shields he possessed. He knew it would not be long before Voldemort would be probing into his mind.

"What is the meaning of this?" Voldemort hissed.

"The boy is a traitor, he shielded his filth of a brother from a killing curse" one of the masked death eaters replied with conviction.

Genuine surprise flitted briefly across Voldemort's face. Regulus observed that Riddle looked far more snake like than human these days. He quickly pushed all thoughts of that nature to the back of mind as well. Knowledge of that nature would certainly be cause for a very slow and torturous death.

"And how did he manage that?"

"It would appear he conjured a shield made of stone, milord."

"How interesting. Leave us."

The obedient little sheep quickly bowed and left, leaving Regulus alone with Voldemort.

"Explain yourself, Regulus."

The Black heir was surprised at the use of his first name but did not show it. "Milord, I am no traitor. I did defend the filth but only with the intent of protecting your interests. I believe as well as you do that it is only a matter of time before Sirius realizes the error of his ways and seeks to join us," Regulus replied smoothly, "I hold no affection for him, and until he comes to his senses, he is certainly no brother of mine."

As Regulus was speaking he felt the none too gentle probing of Voldemort's legilimency attempts. Having brought forth all of the adoration for the dark lord he had felt when he was younger and all of the resentment he had towards his brother at fourteen for abandoning him, his statements were well supported.

"Very well, I believe you did act in accord with the motives you have stated" he then paused for a few moments before continuing, "I confess myself perplexed when it comes you, Regulus. As you must have realized by now that does not happen often, for The Dark Lord is very perceptive. Yet still, you remain an enigma to me."

"Milord?" Regulus had remained kneeling with his head bowed but looked up through his eyelashes at that statement. Voldemort was now pacing before him.

"Oh yes, you have never failed in a mission. You are remarkably bright and resourceful. You also present yourself in a way only one of your pedigree could. Your potential to aid in the betterment of society truly is endless."

"You are too kind, milord." Regulus was beginning to have force himself not to panic. When the dark lord was complimentary it usually didn't bode well.

"From what I understand from your cousin, you began training in the dark arts shortly after turning 13. Is that correct?"

"Yes, Milord."

"And yet you seem reluctant to use your knowledge of the dark arts to the benefit of our cause. Your cousin has mentioned you used to fancy yourself as a healer. Perhaps it is the healing principle of "causing no harm" that stands in your way?"

"Perhaps, Milord." Regulus had found it always best to agree in these situations. Not that he had ever been in a situation like this before, being the good little rule follower he was. However he had observed enough of the other death eater's torture to know when to keep his mouth shut.

Voldemort stopped pacing and stood directly in front of Regulus. "I see. I have a proposition for you then. As you have undoubtedly noticed, the best healers of Britain are now at my disposal. I would like for you to learn from them. Train to become the healer you've long wanted to be. With one condition of course."

"That is most gracious of you." Regulus was surprised and instinctively allowed it to show, "Anything of course I will do milord, even without the reward you offer."

Voldemort chuckled in an almost affectionate sort of way, one which he had only ever seen Bella elicit from him. "Always so eager. Very well, to business then. The time has come for us all to declare our loyalties once and for all. As I've no longer any doubt that you hold no love for that former brother of yours, I wish for you to seek him out. Seek him out and convert him to our cause, or kill him. Like yourself, he has endless potential. Potential I do not wish to continue to be at the disposal of Dumbledore."

"Very well, milord" Regulus replied without emotion though it felt as if his heart had just dropped into his stomach."

"Now as a reminder for what awaits should you fail. Crucio." Voldemort let the spell go on for several moments, and then stated expressionlessly, "You have 48 hours. Good evening, Regulus."

Regulus nodded once before holding his head high and walking out as quickly as his trembling limbs would allow.

Once leaving the room, his gait immediately slowed. Once he finally exited the gates of Lestrange Manor, he promptly activated his port key which took him to a desolate area in the Forest of Dean. Here he sat down and leaned against a tree. He knew he should go home and have Kreacher get him some post-cruciatus potion for the aftereffects, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He wanted to be alone.

Between his life and Sirius' there was no choice in Regulus' mind. Sirius was right to have turned his back on the ideals of their family. Regulus had long since realized this but had no way of backing out. Sirius had been a Gryffindor and had Potter to take him in when he wanted a way out. Regulus' best friend was a second generation death eater. In fact, nearly all of his friends from school were current death eaters or death eater sympathizers. The one person he might have been able to go to was his brother, but he knew Sirius wouldn't believe he wanted to change, nor would he have been able to provide the protection Regulus would need.

He had briefly considered going to Dumbledore, especially after meeting with his former Headmaster and not having been blasted into oblivion. He quickly ruled this out as well though as he knew there was at least one traitor amongst the Order. He also did not want to leave one dictatorship for another. As far as he could tell, the Order members unquestioningly bent to every whim of Dumbledore's just as quickly as the death eaters responded to Voldemort's.

Regulus had no doubt now that he was going to die, and soon. He could either stand about waiting for his imminent demise or could make his own death mean something. It was then that Regulus made his decision. Perhaps he was going to die, but he was most certainly not going to die being someone else's slave. With that thought in mind he stood and apparated back to Number 12 Grimmauld Place.

He quickly called for his beloved house elf, who promptly apparated in front of him with a loud _Crack_.

Adrenaline pumped through Regulus, causing him to forget about his need for post-cruciatus potion, or the magical weakness that was settling in from the conjuring of the stone shield, and from fighting off Voldemort's legilimency.

He stated gently but firmly, "Kreacher, I need you to take me to the cave the Dark Lord took you to. Now. Please."

Kreacher looked immediately petrified but nodded. He then grabbed onto Regulus' arm and apparated them far away from Grimmauld Place."

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><p><strong>Please let me know what you think!<strong>


	9. No Going Back

I do not own anything you recognize.

Thank you all for reading. Also, I really appreciate all of those who have left reviews and messages! I didn't know if anyone would actually be interested in reading this or not.

A/N My story is based on Sirius being closer to two years older than Regulus, though one year apart at school.

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><p>Regulus and Kreacher reappeared on a precariously narrow outcropping of rock overlooking a choppy, briny body of water. Regulus briefly looked around, allowing the freezing water to mist his skin. It was a clear night, one in which it seemed every star was visible. Out of habit, the Black heir sought out the star that was his name sake and found it easily. For some reason the sight of it triggered a memory from what seemed like a different life.<p>

It was the night before Regulus was to begin Hogwarts. He had been lying on his bed re-reading his potions textbook when Sirius entered his room. Sirius had barely spoken to him since he had returned from his first year at Hogwarts. Partly, Regulus knew was because their parents kept them deliberately separated. However it was also obvious they both had changed.

The Black Brothers had been inseparable prior to Sirius beginning Hogwarts. Even when they attended gatherings with their parents, where other children their age were, Sirius and Regulus always stayed together. However, once Sirius returned from school it was if he had completely forgotten Regulus was anything besides an annoying little brother.

Sirius' first year at Hogwarts had been hell for Regulus at home. His parents were outraged with his brother's sorting and took every opportunity to insult Sirius. If Regulus took up for Sirius he was punished. He learned quickly to keep his mouth shut to avoid punishment. Sirius rarely ever wrote to Regulus and to his dismay, spent both the Christmas and Easter Holidays with the Potter's that year (and every year after).

Left alone, Regulus began to try even harder to gain the approval of his parents. He no longer had Sirius to get into mischief with and he had no younger siblings or cousins. He instead buried himself into his studies. He listened to the criticisms his parents had of Sirius and perfected those 'flaws' in himself. He became everything his parent's wanted in a son. Not that they noticed. Without having reason to criticize Regulus they seemingly chose to ignore him altogether. Even in Sirius' absence he was all they talked about. Unless Sirius was around of course. They would then point out the younger Black's 'superiority' as often as possible, further damaging the brothers' relationship.

Regulus realized now that the destruction in their relationship was both initiated and strongly encouraged by their parents. However the eleven year old whose room Sirius entered that night did not. It was a bitter Regulus that did not even bother looking up from his book as he asked, "What do you want?"

"I just want to talk Reggie."

"About what? You've barely spoken to me all summer and right now I am reading. Surely it can wait until in the morning."

"Mother and father will see to it that we do not to talk in the morning. You must have noticed they have done all they can to keep us away from each other all summer. I just- Look, all you have to do is ask the hat to put you where you want to be Reggie. It won't make you be a snake if it isn't what _you_ want. I mean, I know our parents want you to be in Slytherin, but you don't really want to be, do you?"

"Why shouldn't I?"

"It's the most dreadful house! Everyone else in the school hates them. Their common room is in the dungeons, James and I snuck down there once. It's absolutely freezing. I know how you hate being cold Reggie, it wouldn't suit you."

"I already know most of the Slytherins in your year and many who will likely be in mine. Cissy and Lucius Malfoy will be there, I happen to like them, even if you don't. I also am perfectly capable of casting a warming charm. If those are your only reasons, I would like for you leave. I am reading."

With obvious strain to remain calm Sirius asked, "Just please tell me what house you want to be in. I don't care what anyone else wants for you, Regulus. What do _you_ want?"

Surprised by the unusual show of restraint, Regulus finally looked up from his book and replied honestly, "I don't know, it's just- it all seems a bit unreasonable doesn't it? All of this pressure based on what house at school we are sorted in. Once we graduate any arguing of house would be moot, would it not? And besides, why should anyone be looked down upon for being intelligent, cunning, loyal or brave? Are not all of those qualities commendable?"

"Exactly my point, Reggie. No Slytherin would ever say that."

After a pause in which Sirius apparently decided Regulus was not going to respond, he added, "Regulus doesn't just mean 'Little King' you know. If you look at its location in the sky it is the brightest star in the constellation of Leo, the Lion. As in, 'the heart of the lion'. If mother and father gave anyone permission to be in a house apart from Slytherin it's you Reggie." He then placed his hands on Regulus' shoulders and looked him in the eyes as he added, "You don't always have to do what they want, you know? You will be much happier when you stop trying to please them, and do what is right for _you_." He then turned away and left Regulus alone to think about what he had said.

Regulus agreed seven years too late that he would in fact have been much happier had he not always tried to do what his parents wanted. He certainly wouldn't be here at any rate. Shaking himself out of thoughts of things he could not control he focused on the present. He took a deep breath and thought, 'It's now or never' before conjuring a knife.

"It requires blood to grant entrance, I believe you said?"

"Yes, Master Regulus." Kreacher, without the slightest hesitation, offered a bony hand to Regulus.

"That won't be necessary Kreacher, but thank you" Regulus smiled sadly. He then sliced his own palm and pressed the wound to the place Kreacher indicated.

As the walls began to jut back and allow them entrance into the cave, Regulus cast a quick healing spell on his palm. Inside the cave was an extreme contrast from the outside. As they entered it became pitch black and practically radiated dark magic. The two walked farther into the blackness that somehow seemed darker than regular darkness. Regulus lit his wand tip but the light did not illuminate as well as he expected. The only other light in the cavern was an eerie greenish glow emitting from what appeared to be the center of the lake.

Regulus immediately began searching for what would prompt the boat to materialize. He feared the slightest hesitation on his part might be enough to cause him to lose all nerve and give up on this final act of defiance. A few moments later he was able to locate what he was looking for and began pulling on an invisible rope. Once the vessel fully revealed itself, the two silently boarded the boat and were slowly transported across the placid water.

The cave was oddly quiet. The only noise was the sound of the boat moving slowly across the water, closer to the green light. Closer to the horcrux. Closer to Regulus' imminent death. Oddly enough, the Black heir was no longer fearful, but resolute. For the first time in a long time he had a purpose. For the first time in possibly his entire life he was doing what he knew for certain was right.

Finally the boat made it to their destination. Regulus walked to the basin and observed the locket through the potion. He then made a nearly perfect replica of the locket and conjured some parchment and a quill. During his ride on the boat, the Black heir decided he wanted to write a letter. Confident that Voldemort was far too arrogant to check on the security of his Horcruxes in his parent's lifetime Regulus wrote:

'_To the Dark Lord-_

_I know I will be dead long before you read this, but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match you will be mortal once more. R.A.B.'_

The letter was a lie really. Regulus had no intention of destroying the Horcrux on his own, that would be his final order for Kreacher. However as Kreacher was supposed to be dead, Regulus thought it best to make it look as if he acted alone.

He wasn't really sure what prompted him to leave a letter in the locket. He knew everyone would believe he died a coward, and a slave. Perhaps that's why he felt the need to leave documentation of his true loyalty. He had once read in muggle literature, "If there be any truer measure of a man than by what he does, it must be by what he gives." Regulus was giving his life in effort to bring down the dark lord. If nothing else, perhaps Voldemort would find it shortly before his own demise and know Regulus wasn't just another one of his mindless puppets.

After carefully folding the letter and fitting it inside his locket, he turned to his beloved house elf,

"Kreacher"

"Master wishes for Kreacher to drink potion"

"No Kreacher, I want you to promise to make me drink the potion, the entirety of it. Force feed it to me if you have to."

"No Kreacher won't! Kreacher won't! Kreacher will drink it for master!" Kreacher wailed, shaking his head.

"Kreacher, listen to me, this is important. I have to be the one to drink the potion. I need you to take the locket in the basin and switch it with this one," Regulus said holding up his newly conjured locket.

"You are to then leave here, without me. You must destroy the locket, Kreacher. You cannot tell anyone in the family what happened here," Regulus said firmly.

All the while Kreacher was shaking his head vigorously and trying to figure out a way to circumvent his master's orders.

"Kreacher can't. When mistress asks what has become of yous, Kreacher will have to tell her."

Regulus had researched elf magic and was prepared for this question. "While it is true that you are bound to all of the Black family, you can choose to serve one master above all others. No matter what any other Black asked of you, your loyalty would lie with that one individual first. You could keep all of their secrets. Kreacher, if you could serve but one master, who would you choose?"

Kreacher immediately responded, "Yous master Regulus. Master Regulus is always Kreacher's favorite master for master Regulus is always kind to Kreacher."

"Thank you, Kreacher. You will not have to do anyone else's bidding if doing so discredits orders I have given. If you are asked what has happened to me, you will not have tell what you know. I ask that you pretend not to know anything, as it would be the most believable." Regulus smiled sadly.

He then conjured a goblet and filled it with potion. "Kreacher, you must ensure I drink all of it." Ignoring the obvious internal dilemma Kreacher was struggling with, he took his first drink.

Immediately he began to feel queasy and his body screamed for him not to drink anymore. He quickly forced himself to drink two more goblets full of potion, before falling to his knees. His entire body felt as if it were burning from the inside. He was trapped in an illusion, reliving of all of his worst memories.

Kreacher forced him to take another drink.

_Regulus was six years old and had accidently broken his mother's favorite vase. His father held a belt with the intent of whipping Regulus. Sirius threw himself between the belt and his little brother, taking the lashing for Regulus. The younger Black was then forced to watch his father 'crucio' Sirius for his interference. Sirius was only seven._

Another drink.

_Regulus was sitting at the bottom of the stairs out of sight, listening to his mother shriek to his father, "This is why I warned you we must have an heir and a spare. Regulus will be in Slytherin, I will see to that. The indignity of one child being a Gryffindor is bad enough. Sirius is the rightful heir to The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. Regulus has no such luxury. He will be in Slytherin or nothing will stop me from disinheriting him from that day forward!"_

Another drink.

_Regulus was sitting under the sorting hat knowing he was about to lose members of his family today. He was begging, no, that was unbecoming of a Black. He was appealing to the hat's sense of compassion, rather adamantly to put him in Slytherin. The hat was insisting he was a much better fit for Ravenclaw, or even to his bewilderment, Gryffindor. Finally the hat asked if he put him into Slytherin if he would do what he could to restore honor to the house of snakes. Regulus promptly agreed and the hat sorted him into Slytherin. Regulus had never felt more relieved. He immediately looked to Sirius and found he was being pointedly ignored. As Regulus passed he saw his brother was laughing with his friends, but poorly disguised disappointment shadowed his handsome features. Regulus also realized now he had not upheld his end of the bargain with the sorting hat._

Another drink.

_A fourteen year old Regulus was standing in the stairwell listening to his brother's yells and mother's shrieks. Finally Sirius shouts, "You're nothing but bigoted and evil! I've had enough! I'm moving out! I should have done it years ago!" Regulus quickly retreated back to his room before being seen. He desperately wanted Sirius to ask him to go with him. Sirius quickly packed up his room and left, without even saying 'goodbye' to his younger brother._

Another drink and images began coming faster now.

_Pain-he had just received the dark. _

_Nausea-he had just watched Evan murder a muggleborn with a blood-depletion curse that Regulus had shown him in his family's grimoires._

_Guilt-Glassy, sightless eyes staring at him. Dozens of them. Innocent people he had stood by as death eaters tortured and killed them._

_Rachel was accusing him of murdering her father rather vividly. It seemed the potion was now calling on fears more than actual memories, as this had never actually happened. Regulus had been present the night Rachel's father was murdered in a raid at the ministry. Some part in his subconscious always held on that she must blame him even if she never said as much._

More images continued to flood his mind. Regulus was so full of self-loathing he was almost thankful he had no plans to survive this mission. His life had hardly been worth living, after all.

Finally the potion was finished and all comprehension was lost on Regulus. He could not remember why he had been so determined to drink the horrid potion in the first place. All he could register was that he desperately needed water. He then reached his goblet into smooth lake and took a drink of the putrid water.

The once smooth surface immediately became frenzied with the movement of hundreds of inferi. Frantic to get to Regulus. Desperate to drag him beneath the icy surface of the lake with them. Fleshless arms wrapped themselves around him, rotted teeth tangled in his hair and dragged him into the water.

"Master Regulus!" he heard Kreacher yell.

The sound of his name brought Regulus back his purpose.

"Kreacher, you must take the locket and leave here. Destroy the locket. You know your orders, now go!"

Regulus fought to get that message out around all of the decrepit bodies pulling on him. When a sobbing Kreacher finally popped away, he lost all fight and allowed the inferi to pull him under the icy depths of the lake. He wouldn't have lasted much longer anyway.

He forced himself to let out the breath he had subconsciously taken before being brought under. Unimaginable pain tore at his lungs. The lack of oxygen caused the pain to spread throughout the rest of his body. He knew he should inhale the water in attempt to drown himself faster. He feebly attempted to do so but his traitorous body refused to cooperate.

Self-loathing aside, he did not really want to die. He was only eighteen years old. Everyone makes mistakes when they are young he knew. He would never have the opportunity to right his wrongs. This one mission was his only means of absolution, and no one he cared about would ever even know about it.

Black spots appeared in his vision as his body began to convulse involuntarily.

Regulus' last thought was that he should have told someone about the horcruxes before coming here, he was fairly certain no one else knew.

Finally everything went black. Regulus welcomed the relief.

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><p><strong>Quote is by Robert South. Please let me know what you think... Should this be cannon, or should there be a rescue? Thanks for reading!<strong>


	10. Flaw in the Plan

**I do not own anything**.

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><p>Sirius Black watched in confusion as a death eater was led out of the house by five of his fellows, presumably to be reprimanded for his interference in the battle. Had it not been for that death eater, Sirius himself would likely be dead. Why would a death eater save him? Sirius knew that Voldemort was delusional enough to believe he would change sides in the war. Perhaps the kid thought he would win points with his master if he preserved Sirius' life, made him indebted to him even?<p>

No, no matter how many scenarios Sirius came up with, he knew the only explanation was that his 'savior' could not have been anyone but his brother. The little idiot.

Now he was going to be punished, not that he didn't deserve it. All of the death eaters deserved punishment. In Azkaban. And what was even thinking, 'It wasn't as if that killing curse would have even hit me,' Sirius thought to himself. He had been battling two death eaters at the time after all, so it wasn't as though he would have been standing still.

Though the more Sirius thought back to the battle the more he began to doubt that. In fact, as he recalled more from the encounter, it was even more evident that he had been drawn into an ambush. While he thought little of it at the time, he now realized the two masked death eaters had been throwing their curses at strategic angles that kept him relatively stationary during the battle. In that case the curse very well could have hit him. And after all, Regulus was many things, but reckless was not one of them. For him to risk admonishment there must have been very little chance of the curse missing him.

Sirius wondered what he would have done if the situation were reversed. He had not spoken to Regulus in years, and they had nothing in common. It had not always been that way. In fact there had been a time when Sirius was unsure if he loved anyone else in the world besides his baby brother. He would have done anything to keep Regulus safe back then, even if it meant taking a beating himself. That was a long time ago though. It had also been a long time since he had seen anything in his brother worth 'saving'.

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><p>Sirius had just finished helping to bring all of the wounded Order members to the hospital wing at Hogwarts. The school's infirmary had been The Order's preferred place for healing, even before the recent death eater raid that had taken place at St. Mungo's. The majority of healers at St. Mungo's were too inquisitive for their own good. Madam Pomfrey had long since learned she preferred knowing as little as possible about the missions of The Order.<p>

Sirius had intended to go to the _Three Broomsticks_ for a drink to calm his nerves, but found himself instead approaching the gargoyle outside Dumbledore's office. To his surprise, Professor Dumbledore approached him from behind, "Hello, Mr. Black. I'm glad to see you were uninjured in the recent attack. I take it you wanted a word with me?"

"Yes, Sir. In your office, if that's ok?"

"Of course, right this way." He then led Sirius up the staircase and took a seat behind his desk. Sirius took his usual seat across from him.

"Now Mr. Black, what is it you wanted to speak with me about?"

Now that Sirius was here, he felt incredibly foolish. He certainly wasn't going to admit he was worried about what punishment his death eater brother was going to get into with his 'master'.

"I'm not sure sir. It's just, you asked me a while back whether I had been in contact with Regulus. You never really had a chance to tell why you asked though."

"Ah, yes of course. We were interrupted that night weren't we? Well Mr. Black, I asked because your brother contacted me. He wanted to know everything I could tell him about who Voldemort was before becoming known by that name. I wondered if he may have been in contact with you for similar information. I know now I was mistaken. As you said you haven't been in contact with him for several years."

"Right, we haven't. Why do you think he wanted to know about Voldemort's past all of a sudden?"

"I was curious of that as well. He was a bit evasive with the details. When I asked whether his loyalties had shifted, he eluded to only seeking knowledge for the sake of knowledge itself. I wonder if you can make anything out of that."

Sirius snorted, "Only that the prat should have been a Ravenclaw."

Dumbledore chuckled at that before asking, "Nothing more?"

"Not really." Sirius paused not knowing how to phrase what he wanted to say. Eventually he added, "Regulus was at the battle. He conjured a stone shield to block a killing curse."

"Impressive. That is both incredibly clever and would have required a great deal of magical power. I daresay few wizards could conjure a shield powerful enough to deflect such a curse, even fewer would ever dare attempt it in a battle."

Sirius was temporarily distracted by that response. "Why not? If you could block a killing curse why wouldn't you? I've never even heard of it being done before."

"Perhaps it hasn't. It's natural to hear that something has never been done before and assume that must mean it cannot be done. However there are always people clever enough, like your brother it seems, that will hear something hasn't been done before and will find a way to do it anyway. To answer your other question, the conjuring of stone as substantial as his shield must have been to be effective, would have undoubtedly exhausted significant magic from him. Would it not have been better for him in a duel to preserve his energy and merely dodge the curse? Assuming that was an option of course."

Sirius looked down for a moment before replying sheepishly, "Well, he- Perhaps he would have if it were aimed at him. He actually blocked the curse that was aimed at me." Sirius felt the need to justify his need for assistance and quickly added, "I was battling two death eaters. There had been some sort of ambush set up I think. The killing curse came from behind me. I didn't really know what was going on as it was happening. I heard someone yell my name and I turned around to see the stone shield crumpling, and the deflected green light hitting the wall. It happened really fast. The death eater, I can only assume it was Regulus, was quickly surrounded by five death eaters. They escorted him outside of the anti-apparition wards and left immediately."

"I see. And now you are concerned of the fate that awaits your brother for his interference?"

"Of course not sir, he is a death eater. I just wondered if you might know why he would do something so stupid."

"He is your brother. Is it possible that witnessing your murder while he did nothing to stop it might not have been a viable option for him?"

"He was disappointed at St. Mungo's when he couldn't kill me. He said The Dark Lord was still hopeful I would join them. Otherwise I reckon he would have taken relish in committing my murder then."

"Could it be that he said that to protect you? As I understand it you were unarmed and outnumbered nine to one at the time. From what you said, you received only a warning from Ms. Lestrange. As horrible as the cruciatus undoubtedly was, doesn't that seem like a much better outcome than what it could have been?"

"Maybe, I don't know. It's just so stupid of him. How badly do you think he will be punished?" 'Ok fine I am a little worried,' he added to himself.

"I could not say. If it is true Voldemort still hopes to recruit you, then it is not unreasonable to think young Regulus may be pardoned. That would be the best case scenario of course. However, if I know Voldemort like I think I do, then I am afraid a test of Regulus' loyalties might be required."

"Test? What sort of test?"

Dumbledore steepled his fingers and observed Sirius for a moment before responding. "I could not say. Though as his loyalties would be in question because of an interaction involving you, I do not think it unreasonable to suspect you will be involved somehow."

Sirius laughed, despite the potential implications, "So your saying I should be aware of little brother's in dark alleys then?"

"I was of the impression you no longer thought of Regulus as a brother, but yes. I strongly advise you to remain alert of all death eaters in dark alleys, brother or not." Dumbledore responded, blue eyes twinkling in amusement.

"Right, well, thanks for everything as always professor. It's getting late and I don't want to keep you from-er" Sirius realized he had no idea what the headmaster did in his spare time. "Anything." he finished lamely before quickly getting up and making his way for the door. "Good night sir."

"Good evening, Mr. Black" he heard just as the office door closed.

After speaking with Dumbledore Sirius was even more confused by his brother's actions of late. Forget about what he did tonight, if Voldemort found out that Regulus had met with Dumbledore he would be murdered for sure. He wondered what his little brother was hiding. He decided it was time for long overdue chat with the heir to The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black.

Upon exiting the iron gates of Hogwarts, Sirius immediately apparated into Diagon Alley and searched as many of the places he could think of that his brother might be. He did not have any luck, not that he expected to really. While Regulus was not one of the most widely known death eaters, there were a lot who suspected he was one. Many, for no other reason than because of who his family is. Those same idiots were aloof towards Sirius as well, completely ignoring the fact that Sirius had been disowned. Regulus though actually was a death eater, and as with any criminal, it was safest for him not to be easily located by anyone who could arrest him.

If it were anyone else he were searching for he would enlist their mates to find them. Unfortunately for Sirius, anyone that Regulus hung out with these days would be more likely to try to kill him than help. He vaguely considered enlisting his mates for the task but quickly dismissed it. James would be more interested in turning Regulus into the aurors than finding out what he was hiding. Peter would be too afraid of actually finding a death eater to be of any real help. Remus actually would be ideal in this situation, but as last night was the last of the full moon Sirius thought it cruel to disturb the poor bloke. Sirius would have to carry on alone if he wanted to find his brother tonight.

It was possible that Regulus was still with Voldemort. Or perhaps he had been punished and was now at home licking his wounds. Sirius did not know whether Regulus still lived at Grimmauld place or if he had moved out. He thought it likely Regulus still stayed at Grimmauld often even if he had his own place elsewhere. He, after all, had a good relationship with their parents and Kreacher would see to all of his needs. The wards of that house were also some of the strongest in Britain. He could rest there knowing he was safe from the aurors, or from other death eaters. Likely even from Voldemort himself if it came to it. For all the protection the wards at Grimmauld Place offered from outside sources, Sirius had always found them to be majorly flawed. They did nothing to protect against the evil that occurred within their walls.

Not knowing where else to look, Sirius apparated to the front door step of Number 12 Grimmauld Place. He desperately hoped his parents were not home. He stood on the door step ringing the doorbell for several minutes. Where was Kreacher? Finally he gave up and grasped the door knob. He tried to remain calm as his finger was pricked and blood drawn to ensure it was a Black seeking admittance. He did not know what sort of nasty taboo his father might have added to keep him out, he had been disowned after all.

Blessedly it seemed his parents believed him when he said he would never return and the door unlocked without causing him any bodily harm. He slowly opened the door and entered the house he had not seen in over four years. The house he vowed he would never return to.

The farther he walked into the house the more apprehensive he became. He kept waiting to encounter one of his parents and be asked to leave in an impressive display of hatred and rage. However, that did not happen. It seems he was lucky and his parents were out. That still didn't explain Kreacher's absence. Perhaps it had died, Sirius thought almost cheerfully.

As Sirius walked through the house he tried to close off all of the memories that were fighting for him to revisit. There was not a room in this house that did not hold at least one painful memory for the elder Black brother. It didn't help that had anyone who didn't know any better walked through the house they would believe Regulus was an only child. It seemed that in addition to having his name burned off of the family tapestry all of his pictures in the house had been removed as well.

As he walked up the stairs, the portraits that were still awake peered at him warily. He pointedly ignored all of them and walked to Regulus' room. He briefly knocked on the door but after not hearing any response opened the door and walked in. Regulus was not home either it seemed.

Sirius was annoyed to have wasted a trip here and decided to glance through his brother's desk to see if he could figure out what his brother had been up to of late. Sirius was prepared to have to undo a ridiculous amount of enchantments to get the desk drawers open and was therefore surprised when they were not even locked. 'That doesn't seem like Regulus' he thought to himself before, 'ah, that explains it'. Regulus did not bother to lock his desk drawers because nearly everything inside of them was sealed in its own magical containment mechanism. The likes of which Sirius had never seen before, and thought best not to test out.

The last drawer he tried to open on the desk was the smallest and the only one that was locked. After several failed attempts, Sirius managed to get it open. It was empty aside from a framed picture. Upon turning the picture over, he found that it was of himself and Regulus standing together, laughing. Judging by their appearance and the fact that they seemed genuinely happy to be in each other's company, Sirius guessed it was the summer before he started Hogwarts.

Sirius was for a moment overwhelmed by the sentiment. He had been disowned. His name had been burned off of the family tapestry. Every picture and other evidence of his existence had been removed from the house, likely destroyed. Yet here, in his 'perfect Slytherin' brother's' room was proof that he had once belonged to this family.

Suddenly Sirius became nearly overcome with an irrational fear that something had happened to his brother and the two of them would never have the opportunity to work things out. He did not know where these thoughts were coming from. Before today he did not think it possible he and Regulus would ever speak again, let alone ever get along. On an impulse he flew down the stairs to the tapestry room. He quickly searched for Regulus' name next to his burned out one. He was relieved to see his brother was alive, at least according to the tapestry. In better spirits he decided he would call for Kreacher to see if he knew when Regulus' return was expected.

"Kreacher"

To Sirius' surprise it was a sobbing Kreacher that apparated in front of him. Sirius stood looking at him a moment waiting for the elf's usual disparaging comments. They did not come. Instead, after a brief pause in which Kreacher appeared to be thinking something through, the house elf frantically latched on to Sirius' arm and apparated the two of them to parts unknown.

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><p>The two of them reappeared on what seemed to be a cliff overlooking the sea. "How brilliant, Kreacher. I suppose you are trying to kill me now too?" Sirius demanded.<p>

To Sirius' confusion Kreacher said nothing before disappearing into a small entrance that led into what appeared to be a cave. Sirius was completely baffled by this but followed the elf cautiously. Before he had time to ask what was going on his eyes noticed a lake filled with what could only be inferi. A moment later the inferi disappeared into the water and the water became unnaturally smooth.

Kreacher's eyes seemed fixated on the scene, though he had begun shouting all sorts of nonsensical things that left Sirius even more annoyed with the house elf. Then suddenly his comments began to make sense. Only Regulus had ever been able to give orders to Kreacher that the elf was truly unable to break. He had been forbidden by Regulus to tell what was going on.

"Kreacher, did the inferi take something or… someone down with them just now?"

The house elf began nodding vigorously, his bat-like ears flapping up and down.

Sirius was confused and he felt incredibly foolish, as if this was somehow a trick to make him look stupid. But how? No one could have expected Sirius to be at Grimmauld Place, he hadn't been in there in over four years.

In what he thought would likely be more of a precautionary spell rather than a fruitful one, he pointed his wand at the center of the lake and cast, "Accio Regulus"

After a couple of moments a body barely recognizable as his brother's shot out at him from the lake. He caught the surprisingly heavy body and laid it down on the stone. Or to be more accurate, Sirius lost his balance trying to catch Regulus and they both hit the floor rather painfully. Though only Sirius noticed. Regulus was unconscious at best.

Sirius was horrified at his brother's appearance. His skin was much bluer than could ever be considered normal. He was covered in painful looking marks, around his arms, his legs, and his throat. Sirius was was fighting off feelings of panic as he was unable to find a pulse. He had never been good at healing spells and was a bit at a loss of what to do. Kreacher probably could have done something if he wasn't crying his eyes out in misery at the moment.

Sirius forced himself to calm down. An idea had occurred to him of what to do. He had no idea if it would work or not, but it was all he had. He had once dated a muggleborn who worked as a lifeguard during the summer. She had shown Sirius how to do something called CPR much to his enjoyment.

In a much less explicit version from how she had shown him, Sirius attempted the same steps on his brother. After several rounds, Kreacher seemed to come to his senses and began performing magic that was more efficient than the CPR Sirius was attempting. Finally after what seemed like an eternity, Regulus began coughing. He then began hacking up water. More water than Sirius would have ever guessed possible for someone to hold. Finally when he seemed to be done he laid down on his stomach, presumedly too weak to do anything else. After a few moments Sirius realized that Regulus had passed out. 'Though this time he at least has a pulse' Sirius thought after verifying just that.

In another situation, Sirius would have found his brother's uncharacteristic disheveled appearance quite amusing. However right now he was soaking wet and it was freezing, not to mention he was filthy. Sirius cast warming charms and cleaning charms on Regulus before carefully gathering his little brother up in his arms as gently as he could and addressing the house elf.

"I take it only you can apparate in and out of here?"

"No wizard can apparate inside this cave, but Kreacher can apparate yous and Master Regulus from the outside. If yous ready we can all go now"

"Yes, please, Kreacher."

And with that Sirius, carrying Regulus and Kreacher walked outside of the cave, before apparating far away from there.

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><p><strong>Confession time- I had planned for Regulus to survive the cave. He is one of my favorite characters and it gets depressing to read about him when he always seems to die... Please let me know what you think!<strong>


	11. Recovery and Reflections

**I do not own anything.**

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><p>Sirius, Regulus and Kreacher apparated directly into a quiet corner of the hospital wing of Hogwarts, as had been Sirius' instructions to Kreacher. The infirmary had quite a few occupants, though as most of them had the curtains around their beds drawn, no one seemed to notice their sudden appearance. Sirius quickly whisked Regulus onto the nearest available cot and drew the curtains.<p>

After several failed attempts at getting information of the night's events from Kreacher, Sirius sent him back to Grimmauld Place with the order not to tell anyone of what had happened. Sirius deduced that Regulus must have given similar orders but he wasn't sure if they would apply to the events following when Regulus 'died'.

Sirius peeked out of the curtains to see if he could find Madam Pomfrey to have her look over Regulus, but the matron was nowhere to be seen. He did see a couple of volunteers from St. Mungo's, one of which he recognized as Rachel Candor.

Since the death eater raid at St. Mungo's, civilians and ministry officials alike had been requesting to be treated there instead of at the hospital in London. It was public opinion now that Hogwarts was the safest place in Britain in the present climate. As gifted as Madam Pomfrey was, the patient load was beyond what any one witch could handle alone, which had prompted many of the apprentices to begin volunteering time at Hogwarts. The healers of St. Mungo's were stretched too thin to send any aid as they had lost a few of their number to the death eaters. The apprentices were able to help with caring for most of the student's ailments as well as some of the more minor afflictions of other patients, or so Sirius had been told at the last Order meeting.

Sirius quickly closed the curtains so as to not draw the apprentice's attention. Aside from not really wanting to see her in general, he suspected Regulus needed help beyond what a first year apprentice could provide. Also considering she had been in his brother's year at school, there was a good chance she would not help even if she could. There was no telling what horrible things he and his friends might have done to her in their school days. Despite being a pureblood, she lacked the 'proper pureblood pride' required to ever have been friendly with any of the Slytherins.

After a couple of minutes, in which Regulus remained in a comatose state and Sirius checked almost obsessively to ensure he still had a pulse, Sirius again peeked out from the curtains. This time he saw Madam Pomfrey and motioned her over. She gestured that she would be over shortly and Sirius returned to his silent vigil.

After what seemed like an eternity to Sirius but was likely only a couple of minutes, the matron arrived.

"Well Mr. Black, what can I do for you?"

"It's my brother actually," Sirius said gesturing towards the bed. "I'm not sure of everything, but near drowning is on his list of ailments."

If the matron was surprised of Sirius' company, or his condition, she hid it well. The matron had grown accustomed to treating a diverse population of late, and wasted no time casting diagnostic spells, followed by healing spells as she went. The only indication of surprise she showed was in the raise of her eyebrows, which nearly blended in with her hairline by the time she addressed Sirius again.

The matron made a 'tsk' sound, before asking, "And you have no idea how he came to be in this condition?" She continued casting various healing spells as she spoke, as if to seem like she was not particularly interested in his answer.

"None at all. The Black family's house elf apparated me to him. I found him in this state." Sirius answered firmly. He wasn't sure how much to reveal. He wanted his brother to receive proper treatment but was worried he would be sent away if she found out Regulus was a death eater.

"And what of these hand prints? It looks as if someone was rather intent on drowning him. They were there when you found him too, I suppose?" she asked sounding a bit too skeptical for Sirius' liking.

"This is exactly how I found him, save he now has the improved state of having a heartbeat!" Sirius was starting to get annoyed now. Why would he bother with getting Regulus treatment if he had been the one to put him in this condition?

Madam Pomfrey looked startled at that and cast another diagnostic spell.

"He was without oxygen for around four minutes."

"Will he be ok? How long before he wakes up"

"I couldn't say. He is in a stable condition at this time. His current state of unconsciousness is as much from exhaustion as it is from the near-drowning experience. I could attempt to revive him, but his body will heal more efficiently if it is allowed to rest. I also suspect he will be in a great deal of pain if he were to awaken anytime soon." She continued casting healing spells for a few more moments before adding, "I have fixed the most serious damage. I will have someone bring over a salve for the worst of the markings on his skin and to fix the remainder of his ailments. After that I suggest we let him be."

The matron then left Sirius alone to continue his watch over his still unresponsive brother. A few minutes later, the healer's apprentice, Rachel, made her presence known before opening the curtains and entering the area around Regulus' cot.

The apprentice did not seem to notice Sirius' presence as she walked in and immediately checked Regulus for a pulse. He could understand that, Regulus certainly looked like death warmed over. Sirius did not understand the expressions that crossed her face though, as they seemed to go from shocked to a mixture of exasperation and relief. He was then thoroughly perturbed when she brushed his hair out of his face in an almost affectionate manner, before startling when Sirius cleared his throat. She quickly glanced at him before beginning to apply salve to the markings on Regulus' neck. 'That was weird,' Sirius thought but did not comment.

After treating Regulus' face, neck and what was visible on his arms, she flicked her wand to switch Regulus' tattered clothing for a long sleeved hospital gown.

"I've never seen one of those before. I've only ever seen the short sleeved kind used," Sirius remarked more to break the silence than because he actually cared about gown selection.

The apprentice looked at him as if trying to read something in his expression, but after a moment replied, "Yes, well, those are standard. He still feels really cold though, and as it's always frigid in here, I thought he might be a bit more comfortable in this."

"Thoughtful of you."

"So, what happened anyway?"

"As I've told Madam Pomfrey, I do not know what happened exactly, this is how I found him."

"I see,"

The noncommittal tone in which she answered only further irritated Sirius after his encounter with the matron, whom he was normally a favorite of.

"Care to share your real feelings? If I didn't know any better I would think you and Madam Pomfrey both think that I am somehow responsible for Regulus' current afflictions. Which is ridiculous considering I am the one that brought him in for treatment!"

"Merlin, calm down Black. I certainly don't think you would try to drown your brother, if that's what you are asking. I've no idea what you told Madam Pomfrey, I was just told that a patient was nearly drowned to a point that his heart actually stopped beating briefly. I came in here to find said patient with markings all over his body obviously indicative of a struggle. Add in that it is his estranged brother that happens to be the one accompanying him… While I do not think you are responsible, surely you can see why the situation is a bit suspect."

Sirius was about to retort something that would likely have gotten him kicked out of the hospital wing but when he looked at Rachel's expression it looked more amused than accusing. Instead he asked,

"Why don't you think I am responsible if it's so suspicious?"

"You are reputed to be intelligent. You were a year ahead of me in school so I don't really know how well deserved that reputation is, but no one with an ounce of common sense would find themselves in your situation if they were guilty."

"Right, I guess. So, do you know Regulus then?"

"Only in passing. We had several classes together," the apprentice answered while continuing to cast various diagnostic and healing spells.

"You probably had some dealings with him and his friends while at school then. I'm a little surprised you don't seem to mind helping him to be honest," Sirius replied wryly.

"Oh. Well, they never bothered me much. I guess because I'm a pureblood and all."

"Yes, but you're also a blood traitor."

"And you're supposed to be the brother that doesn't care about that, yet here we are," Rachel replied amusedly.

"I don't, I just-"

"Have a tendency to blurt things out before you think them through?" Rachel asked cheekily.

Sirius grimaced, "It's been known to happen I suppose."

"You should probably work on that. Though admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery, or so I've heard."

"Where did you hear that, some kind of muggle therapy?"

Rachel rolled her eyes at that before declaring, "I have to go check on my other patients. Is there anything you need right now?"

"No, but how long before you think he'll wake up? Madam Pomfrey didn't really have an answer, but it can't hurt to get a second opinion."

"Well, Madam Pomfrey told me she thought it would be a few days. I actually think it more likely to be sooner though. The more magically powerful someone is, the faster they heal. Your brother was always one of the more powerful students in my year."

"Alright then, thanks for your help."

"You're welcome." Rachel hesitated a moment before adding, "Please let me know when he wakes up."

Sirius nodded his consent and then returned to his silent vigil. It was incredibly boring. He considered going to speak with Professor Dumbledore but did not want to leave in case Regulus woke up.

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><p>Several hours later a sleeping Sirius was awoken by an owl he did not recognize with a letter addressed to Regulus. As Sirius untied the letter he vaguely thought it unsanitary to allow owls into the hospital wing, before rolling over on his makeshift bed and falling back to sleep.<p>

Sirius woke up again mid-afternoon and found Regulus to be just as he had left him, asleep. After ordering and then devouring a meal graciously provided by the Hogwarts house elves, Sirius became increasingly restless. He had not had any contact with anyone all day with the exception of when Madam Pomfrey or one of her minions periodically came in to check on Regulus.

It was then that he remembered the letter. He reasoned that it could contain time sensitive information and Regulus was in no shape to read it himself. He then carefully tore open the letter, and read:

'_Reg- _

_I'm not sure where you are or what's going on. I can only presume The Dark Lord has sent you on a mission to make amends for your interference in yesterday's raid. Most are speculating you had a momentary lapse in judgment and acted on reflex. Others have suggested you were looking out for The Dark Lord's interests. Because you really believe Sirius can be converted... I won't tell you what I think in case this letter is intercepted, but please heed what I am telling you. _

_As you may have noticed, The Dark Lord has a bit of a fascination with you. You are, and have always been much too clever for your own good. He believes you to be an untapped vessel full of intricate knowledge in the dark arts and torture, and for that reason, one of his most valuable acquisitions amongst the death eaters. Whatever you are thinking of doing, I strongly advise you to reconsider. _

_As clever as you are, you will be found. As you know, perhaps better than any of us; death eaters are bound for life. Anyone found to be a traitor will have a slow and most assuredly painful death. I think you may be the exception. In your case, I daresay even Azkaban might be better. Please take this under advisement and if you need help ask for it now, before it is too late to be helped._

_Evan'_

Sirius finished the letter and then re-read it. He then folded it back the way it had been, and charmed it so that it looked as if never opened. After placing it neatly on Regulus' bedside table, he began to ponder what he had just read.

Rosier thought Regulus might be on a mission to make amends for his interference. Perhaps the stent at the cave was Voldemort's retaliation for Regulus' intervention? Inferi induced drowning seemed like a bit of an overreaction to Sirius, but as Voldemort was clearly a madman, he wouldn't put it past him. That didn't explain Kreacher's involvement though, unless Regulus called him there. But why would he if only to leave him there to drown?

It also didn't make sense for Voldemort to leave Regulus to die if he was anywhere near as valuable as Rosier suggested. 'Untapped vessel full of intricate knowledge in the dark arts and torture,' his letter had said. What did that mean? Did Regulus possess this intricate knowledge but refrained from using it, or is Regulus just incredibly sick in the ideas of torture he comes up with? If it was the latter then Sirius was not sure rescuing Regulus was in anyone's best interest. Sirius was unsure of what Regulus' plans were, he scarcely knew him anymore.

Evan Rosier and his brother had been nearly inseparable at school though. Rosier likely knew Regulus as well as anyone could. According to his letter, he seemed to think Regulus wanted out of the death eaters. 'Well that's something, at least,' Sirius thought. However this only gave him a different cause for worry. It wasn't as if Regulus could just walk up to Voldemort and hand in his resignation. Could Regulus have been trying to kill himself? Would he prefer death over continuing his life as a death eater?

For the millionth time, Sirius wondered why Regulus would have ever thought joining the death eaters was a good idea. He had been a sweet kid when he was young. More innocent than Sirius had been. Sirius had always done his best to keep Regulus out of hearing range when their most offensive relatives came to visit.

Before Sirius began Hogwarts, Regulus had been spared from the majority of 'special lessons' with their father that Sirius had had to attend as the rightful heir of the Black family. Sirius knew Regulus began the same lessons once Sirius was sorted into Gryffindor, 'just in case'. The changes Sirius saw in his brother when he returned home from school following his first year spoke volumes of what he must have had to endure in Sirius' absence. Not that Regulus would ever tell Sirius anything about it. Sirius thought it likely the lessons only worsened once he had been disowned.

Sirius thought back to Rosier's letter. Could he really have gone through all of this effort to save Regulus from the cave and then waiting around for him to wake up only for things to go back to the way they were? Regulus was a death eater, and it certainly didn't seem like leaving them was an option, especially if Rosier's letter was anything to go by.

Sirius thought it might be best if he just left. Let Regulus wake up alone and figure things out for himself. It wasn't as if he would listen to anything Sirius had to say anyway. The thought was fleeting though as he realized he had everything to gain by staying. The worst case scenario was that Sirius would offer to help Regulus only to be turned away. If that happened at least Sirius could be free.

Free from the guilt that he has carried with him all of these years. Wondering if he could have done something more to try and sway Regulus away from the clutches of their family. He realized now that he had abandoned Regulus long before ever officially leaving. The moment the sorting hat declared Regulus was to be in Slytherin some part of Sirius' heart had hardened towards his brother. As the years went by Sirius constantly looked for flaws in him to further convince himself that Regulus had been a lost cause from the beginning.

He had long since felt that he had failed his younger brother in this regard. By leaving the family he could no longer keep him safe from them. Sirius was all but certain now that had he stayed, Regulus would never have joined the death eaters. And if that were true then why hadn't he stayed?

He left home less than a year before when he would have been legally able to do so anyway. He moved in with the Potter's. What was so different about that? He had spent every Christmas and Easter holiday with them as well as the majority of the summer breaks since his first year. He had considered leaving long before when he actually did but always justified staying with the fact that he was rarely ever there to begin with.

His actual decision to leave home had been rash, decided in the heat of the moment at the height of an argument. He was lucky that the Potter's took him in and even more so that his Uncle Alphard had left him an inheritance. Without it, Sirius would not have been able to maintain anything close to his usual lifestyle. He likely would not have even been able to afford his last year's tuition at Hogwarts. Worse than that, his leaving only caused his parents to place even more pressure onto his brother's already overloaded shoulders. It very well could have pushed him into the ranks of the death eaters. His parents had been sympathizers after all, it would have made them proud.

That was all in the past now though. If for no other reason, Sirius was glad to have saved Regulus in the cave so as to be able to clear the air with him when he wakes up. Perhaps it would be their last conversation. Sirius was determined that regardless of the result, he was going to let go of any lingering feelings of guilt that haunted him.

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><p>Finally, late into the evening Regulus began to stir. Sirius poked his head out and caught Rachel's eye. Merlin, did she ever go home? She certainly looked exhausted. He decided not to comment on that fact when she entered the 'room' though as their last conversation had been relatively friendly. He also couldn't quite shake the feeling that her comment about him speaking before thinking things through had been a warning of some sort, though why she would feel the need to give him any such warning he could not fathom.<p>

Rachel observed Regulus' restlessness briefly before leaving momentarily. When she came back her hands were full of several different vials of potion, all of which she sat down on the table without giving Regulus any. She saw Sirius' look of confusion and answered his unasked question, "Most of these vials contain potions for pain relief, some stronger than others. I wanted to have them close by for when he wakes up, but to give any to him now would likely just put him back to sleep. You seem anxious to have him awake. I also suspect he has obligations he will need to see to before too long."

Sirius nodded but did not reply. He too had wondered about Regulus' 'obligations' and how long it would be before he was missed.

Sirius was pulled out of that line of thought when Rachel began trying to speak to Regulus. She stroked his cheek gently and asked if he could hear her. He grunted in response. Sirius watched silently from his seat off to the side. He thought alerting Regulus of his presence might cause the younger Black unnecessary trepidation in his current state. After a minute or two of similar interaction, Regulus gradually became more lucid.

Regulus opened his eyes just enough to find out he was extremely light sensitive and promptly closed them again.

"Rachel"

Rachel smiled broadly then replied, "Welcome back to the land of the living. Your brother brought you to the hospital wing here at Hogwarts."

Regulus grunted incoherently before asking, "Aren't you in the wrong place?"

"No, ever since those pesky death eaters infiltrated St. Mungo's I've been splitting my time. I'm right where I'm supposed to be," she smiled softly. She then cleared her throat and addressed Sirius, "well as far as I can tell, he doesn't seem to have any short term memory loss." She cast a few more silent spells before adding, "The light sensitivity is to be expected but should subside soon. If any new symptoms develop please let Madam Pomfrey or myself know promptly."

Turning back to Regulus, she said, "I have a smorgasbord of potions to aid with your pain level. How strong of one do you need?"

After being given the potion he had requested, (by both name and dosage, instead of level of pain to Sirius' bafflement and Rachel's amusement) the healing apprentice excused herself, leaving the Black brothers alone.

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><p><strong>I'm so sorry to cut it off here as I know some of you are getting anxious about wanting Regulus and Sirius to actually interact. This chapter was going to be disproportionally too long if I didn't cut it off soon though. I've made the last few chapters longer than the earlier ones. I'm not sure which is preferred. Please feel free to leave a review. Thanks for reading!<strong>


	12. Reaquainting and Alliances

**I do not own anything.**

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><p>Regulus had played seeker on his house team for five years and had accrued a rather impressive list of quidditch related injuries throughout that time. He had also participated in Slytherin's 'secret dueling club,' while he had been at Hogwarts, a club in which the likes of Severus Snape regularly tested out new spell creations. Add in the stray cruciatus here and there and the various methods of punishment his parent's rather vivid imaginations had come up with in his youth, and the Black heir was no stranger to pain. He had had more stays in the Hogwart's hospital wing than he could count. However, in all of those visits to the infirmary, or in his entire life for that matter, he had never felt as battered as he did now.<p>

He had died. He was certain of that. There was a period, whether it had lasted for one minute or for an entire day or even longer he could not say. It was as if time did not exist, he did not exist. He had no pain, regret or guilt. It was blissful and he was at peace.

It was also fleeting. He had been forcefully ripped away from that blissful, timeless place and harshly returned to a world in which pain and regret ran rampant. He also required air to breathe again. Unfortunately for Regulus, breathing was incredibly painful. As was laying there in the bed, opening his eyes, moving his arms and everything else he attempted to do.

His throat was also extremely scratchy. His voice sounded as if it hadn't been used in years. Had it really only been one day? Rachel had told him as much as she gave him his pain potion. He did not take nearly as much potion as he would have liked. He needed a clear head to deal with Sirius and he only had one more day before every death eater at Voldemort's disposal would be sent after him.

He could just kill Sirius now. He certainly had the element of surprise on his side. How unfortunate killing him would require moving. Not to mention that in doing so he would be making his first kill, losing his only brother and securing his place within a group that he no longer wanted any part of, all in one swoop. Merlin his head was pounding.

Regulus desperately wanted to go back to sleep. It was the only pastime that was not painful. He knew Sirius was sitting beside him and would want an explanation of what had happened. He considered feigning sleep to avoid the impending interrogation but knew Sirius deserved better. Had he really waited here all day while he was unconscious?

"Sirius," Regulus was irritated to find his words were slightly slurred but did his best to sound as articulate as possible, "How did you find me?"

"I went to Grimmauld Place to talk to you. When no one was there I called for Kreacher. As soon as he saw me he grabbed my arm and apparated us to the outside of that hellhole we found you in. What the hell was that Regulus? You were dragged underwater by inferi, and would have drowned if I hadn't shown up when I did. You even had the foresight to order Kreacher not to tell anyone what was going on. Were you planning on having yourself killed?"

"Have you placed silencing charms on these curtains?"

Apparently he hadn't, for Sirius stood up then and began casting the charms. When he was finished, Regulus asked,

"Why did you want to talk to me?"

"To find out what is going on with you. You blocked the killing curse on my behalf, which was incredibly stupid on your part. The chances of that spell actually hitting me was pretty near nil. I then found out you spoke to Dumbledore. So, again I ask, are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"Of course not. I'm eighteen, I have much too much to live for and all that." Did he really just say that out loud? He continued trying to focus his efforts on the conversation at hand, it required much more effort than it should have.

"So that's in then. After all of this, you aren't even going to tell me anything, are you? You're just going to get patched up here and then go back to your beloved master? You're unbelievable," Sirius' voice had risen to a tone that many would likely consider a yell, but having grown up with him, Regulus knew Sirius was still several octaves below his version of yelling. Unfortunately that was a small comfort with his head already pounding the way it was.

Sirius was about to say something else, but it seemed as if all of the fight had gone out of him at the last moment. He closed his mouth and made to leave the 'room'.

"Thanks for saving me," Regulus stated quietly just before he pulled open the curtains.

Sirius hesitated briefly before saying, "you received a letter while you were unconscious. It's on the table." He then pulled back the curtains and left.

Regulus was surprised and slightly disappointed Sirius had given up questioning him as quickly as he did. His big brother interrogation skills seemed to have atrophied over the years. It was also possible Sirius realized Regulus wasn't in the right frame of mind for a long overdue conversation between them. Somehow Regulus doubted that was the case. Sirius wasn't known for being particularly sympathetic.

All thoughts of sleep had left him by now and he was gradually becoming more clear-headed. With nothing else to do he picked up his letter and was unsurprised to find it was from Evan.

Just as he was finishing it, Rachel came back to check on him.

"How are you feeling?"

"It could be worse," 'though not much', he added himself.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

Regulus thought about it for a moment before saying, "You're much safer the less you know about it."

"I take it your brother didn't receive that answer well."

Regulus grimaced, "I'm not really sure what he expected of me. I'm a death eater." He was not about to involve Rachel in his issues if he could help it. She had managed to fly under Voldemort's radar so far and he intended to keep it that way.

She observed him skeptically for a moment, "I won't press you for details. You have no reason to explain yourself to me anymore."

"Rachel-"

"I didn't mean that how it probably sounded." She lightly bit her bottom lip, a sign he knew to mean she was nervous, "It's just that since you're still determined to keep me in the dark for my own protection or whatever other stupid reason you've come up with, Sirius is probably the most neutral person you can trust."

"Sirius is far from neutral."

"Away from the influence of Potter I think he could be, for you if for no one else. He is your brother, disownment or not, it's in your blood. If you need evidence of that you should have seen how worried he has been about you. He hasn't left. You don't have to worry about keeping him safe from the dangers of the war either, seeing as he is already directly involved in it. Whatever is going on with you maybe he can help."

Regulus nodded his assent and agreed to think about it.

Their conversation drifted from there to details of Rachel's apprenticeship and changes made at the hospital since the death eater raid had taken place. They, mostly Rachel, filled each other in on what they had been doing over the past few months. Her life experiences of late had been far more pleasant than Regulus'. He was pleased that she seemed content to share them rather than press him for details of his recent escapades. After all, death and destruction hardly made for pleasant conversation.

* * *

><p>Sirius was mad, no that wasn't quite right. He was disappointed. He had spent the entirety of the last 24 hours waiting for Regulus to wake up, holding on to a shred of hope that Regulus would be different. He wasn't. Questions answered only with evasiveness and half-truths. Still all too happy to serve the lunatic that can't be named.<p>

He rescued Regulus from the cave, he would be dead if it hadn't been for Sirius. The least he could do was answer his bloody questions. Sirius decided it was past time for Dumbledore to know of the presence of a death eater in the castle and made his way in the direction of his office.

Upon entering the headmaster's office he was greeted with, "Ah Mr. Black, I see your vigil has commenced. Am I right to assume this means the younger Black is now awake?"

"You knew he was here?" Sirius did not expect that.

"Alas, there is little that goes on in the infirmary I am not privy to. Madam Pomfrey sees to it that I am well informed of the presence of the outside guests who visit."

"I'm surprised you allowed him to be treated."

"I suspect many would be surprised that you saw fit to bring the younger Black in for treatment."

"I'm not sure it was the right thing to do, sir, him being a death eater and all."

"You knew that before bringing him in, yet you still brought him. Has something happened to change your mind of the wisdom in that choice?"

"When I brought him in he was unconscious, now he's awake." Sirius deadpanned.

"I see. Well if you have no objections I would like to have a word with him while he is so easily accessible. Perhaps you would like to accompany me for a chat with your brother?"

"Sure, are you going to have him arrested?" Sirius asked in a tone he meant to sound offhanded.

"I think not. I suspect this might be an enlightening experience for the both of us. Now are you ready?"

Sirius gave a nod of assent. He had no idea what the headmaster was on about. He was slightly relieved that Dumbledore didn't want to have Regulus arrested though, even if he deserved it.

* * *

><p>Regulus was sitting up in bed talking with Rachel who had taken Sirius' vacated seat when the headmaster along with Sirius entered his, for lack of a better word, 'room'.<p>

For some reason the scene seemed to amuse the headmaster. Sirius wore a rather stony expression, a look more commonly found on the Younger Black's face.

"Hello Mr. Black, I wondered if you might feel up to having a bit of company. Though it seems I am too late as you already have a lovely guest."

Regulus noticed Rachel was very tense beside him. She quickly excused herself before leaving on the context of checking on some other patients.

Regulus smiled faintly, "I'm not sure I am very good company in this state, but you are certainly welcome to join me."

"Wonderful," Dumbledore replied. "Sirius has told me of your successful dispelling of the killing curse yesterday. I wish first to congratulate you on that rather impressive feat."

"Thank you, sir"

"I wondered as I think your brother does, whether the condition you find yourself in now is a result of that action?"

"Indirectly at best, sir,"

Regulus was having an internal battle at this point. If he wanted outside help this was his opportunity, and likely the last he would have. However he did not want to endanger anyone else with the knowledge he held. He also knew there was a good chance he might die soon, permanently this time. His biggest regret in the cave had been that he had not told anyone else of the horcruxes.

He thought Dumbledore more likely to actually know what a horcrux was. Sirius had missed out on the majority of dark arts lessons that occurred in their household, as he was so rarely present. Though choice in friends aside, Regulus trusted Sirius more than he trusted Dumbledore.

He thought back to the reasons he didn't entirely trust Dumbledore and realized it was mostly because of his family's view of him. He also knew Sirius trusted Dumbledore, and that Sirius did not trust him. Perhaps telling both of them would be the most practical. Professor Dumbledore's calm demeanor may also serve as a buffer between Sirius and his tendency to overreact.

His recent trauma must have made his thought process a bit slower than normal, for Dumbledore then prodded him,

"Would you care to elaborate on that?"

Regulus nodded once and took a deep breath before beginning cautiously,

"To explain my intention in the cave would be impractical without first explaining some of the circumstances which led me there.

Since joining the death eaters, I've managed to acquire some rather sensitive information. Knowledge of which was never meant to be discovered. It will be…unpleasant should The Dark Lord find out what I have learned. I think it best to share what I have found out, if only to the two of you. I must be certain that what I tell is not shared with anyone else."

"Why should we believe anything you tell us?" Sirius asked skeptically.

"Because without the information I possess, Voldemort cannot be defeated."

Sirius raised an eyebrow at that, "You said the name. Isn't that like blasphemous amongst death eaters?"

Regulus smirked, "I suppose that's fitting then. I could scarcely be considered a death eater anymore, at least not a very good one". His expression became more somber as he added, "Will you agree to keep anything I tell you private?"

Dumbledore immediately agreed, "Indeed. I am very interested to learn what information you have acquired in your experience amongst the death eaters. I agree it likely best to keep the information private, especially if it is as vital as you say in ridding the world of Voldemort's influence."

Sirius remained noncommittal and had seemingly begun a staring contest with Regulus. The latter of which refused to break eye contact. Finally, Sirius gave in and nodded his assent.

Now that Regulus had their attention he wasn't entirely sure where he should begin. In the end he decided it best not to sugarcoat the matter and got right to the point,

"Do either of you know what a horcrux is?"

To that Sirius looked perplexed and Dumbledore appalled.

For Sirius' benefit he continued,

"A horcrux is an incredibly dark creation that requires murder to complete. It is made by one wishing to obtain immortality. A fragment of their soul becomes hidden in an object, and so long as that fragment of the soul is safe, the creator cannot die, even if their body should perish."

Sirius looked revolted, "And you believe Voldemort has successfully created one?"

"I know he has made one. I suspect he has made several."

"That would explain the change to his physical appearance over the years," Dumbledore stated gravely. "How did you come by this information?"

"Yes, his features are far more reptilian now than even when I first joined the death eaters. I had been suspicious for a while. Voldemort, he has a tendency to brag of his accomplishments. In meetings he would often say things like 'I, who have gone farther than anyone else on the path to immortality,' and the like. The other death eaters never seemed to notice anything amiss, but those were the times I was always most interested in what he had to say. I had been trying to figure out what methods he had used to obtain immortality.

"I cannot say for certain, but he has on several occasions referred to the number seven being the most magically powerful number. I believe it likely that to create seven is his eventual goal, though whether he has succeeded in making that many as of yet I do not know."

After a few moments of stunned silence Sirius asked, "Do you have any idea what the objects are or where they could be?"

"I know of one, the locket that formerly belonged Salazar Slytherin. It was located in the cave you rescued me from last night, Sirius. There are many protections in the cave. The locket itself was located on the island in the center of the lake. The island only accessible by a boat charmed to carry no more than one wizard.

"The locket was submerged beneath a potion and could not be removed by any method aside from someone first drinking the entirety of that potion." Regulus shuddered involuntarily remembering the events of the night before.

"What sort of potion was it?" Sirius asked.

"I believe it to be a creation of Voldemort's. In my research I've never come across anything quite like it. It causes the drinker to feel as if they are burning from the inside out. It then traps the drinker in an illusion of all of their worst memories. Once the potion is finished, it causes the drinker to feel extremely muddled and above anything else dehydrated. The only source of drink available is conveniently the lake, which upon disturbing, awakens an army of inferi to attack the drinker.

"As the boat that allows access to the island will only carry the one wizard, and the only way to touch the locket is to drink a potion what will compel the drinker to unwittingly awaken an army of inferi, Voldemort is confident the locket is quite safe.

"I ordered Kreacher to force me to drink all of the potion and then immediately take the locket and leave. It was of the upmost importance for him to escape with the locket so as to be able to destroy it."

Regulus was too engrossed in his own thoughts at that moment to notice the looks of surprise and awe that his companions were now wearing. He had not expected to survive the mission when he gave Kreacher orders to destroy the locket. He now desperately needed the horcrux to be intact.

"Kreacher" he called, and almost instantly the house elf was there and bowing before him.

"Master Regulus called Kreacher," the house elf stated, obvious adoration in his demeanor.

"Yes, Kreacher. Have you managed to destroy the locket we procured last night?"

The elf's face crumpled "Kreacher is sorry. Kreacher has tried and tried but Kreacher has not been able to destroy it. Kreacher will not rest though, not until Kreacher destroys it."

"That won't be necessary Kreacher. I no longer need for you to destroy the locket. I want you to bring it to me. I also want you to look at the family tapestry before returning. See if there have been any changes in the past day or so. Report back to me what you find immediately, please."

Kreacher looked a bit startled at his orders but quickly bowed and said, "As master wishes," before popping away.

Once Kreacher left, Sirius asked the question Regulus had expected to have been asked much sooner,

"Why did you drink the potion? Kreacher is a house elf. He would have been only too happy to drink it if only to spare his favorite master the fate you very nearly experienced."

"Voldemort underestimated the magic of house elves. Kreacher was able to apparate directly into and out of the cave while a wizard cannot. I felt it was most important for the locket to be removed so that it could be destroyed."

"So it really was meant to be a suicide mission then?" Sirius asked angrily, "You had no plans to make it out of the cave alive?"

"I thought I would be able to detain the inferi, before using the boat to escape the island. I underestimated the effects of the potion. It, along with the other events of yesterday left me far more out of sorts than I expected." Regulus answered calmly.

The truth was, he had no reason to escape the cave if the locket was not safely smuggled out of there. Kreacher could not have apparated out of the cave with Regulus, and it was unlikely the house elf could have escaped by any other means, especially if he had Regulus hindering his progress.

Kreacher popped back at that moment and quickly bowed before handing Regulus the locket.

"Thank you, Kreacher. Have there been changes to the tapestry?"

"The tapestry shows a death date of yesterday for Master Regulus," the house elf replied sadly. "Kreacher can fix it though, for Master Regulus is alive and Kreacher is happy for it," the elf's ears perked up a bit.

"You can alter the tapestry?"

"Kreacher thinks so, yes"

"Good. Kreacher I do not wish for the tapestry to show that I am alive, but to postpone my date of death by a couple of days. Can you manage that?"

"What are you doing? Why bother with changing the date if you wish to be believed dead?" Sirius demanded.

Regulus ignored his question and addressed the house elf again, "Can you do it, Kreacher?"

"Kreacher thinks so," the house elf replied resignedly.

"Good. Mother and father are not scheduled to return from the South of France for a few more days. It will need to be modified before their return. I will call for you when I determine the date needed. Thank you, Kreacher."

The house elf bowed again before popping away.

Regulus looked up from where Kreacher had been and found Sirius staring at him, equal parts bewilderment and agitation in his expression. Regulus thought at first that Dumbledore was staring at him as well. After looking at him properly though he found the headmaster was more precisely eyeing the locket he held in his hand. Regulus tightened his grip on the chain and shoved it into his pocket.

"You are not leaving my sight until you tell me what the hell that was about," Sirius announced.

"It's obvious isn't it? I stole a horcrux, I certainly can't go waltzing back into the next death eater meeting, I'll have to fake my own death somehow."

"But why bother with changing the date on the tapestry?"

Regulus scoffed and looked at the ground before responding, "It seems The Dark Lo- Voldemort saw the need to clarify where my true loyalties lie." Looking up at Sirius he added, "My parting orders were to either convert you to his cause or kill you. If my time of death is mere hours following when those orders were given, I've no doubt it is only a matter of time before my untimely death is blamed on you."

Dumbledore cut in at that point, "That makes sense, but perhaps should be revisited at a later time. Now that we have been briefed on the situation, I think it best to allow the younger Black to rest. We can recommence our discussion once he is back on his feet. In the meantime I think it most appropriate if I were to keep the horcrux with me until we find a means to destroy it. Unless, you've already found a way to do so?" He asked the younger Black.

"Fiendfyre would work, I could probably contain it well enough," Regulus answered vaguely. He was about to add that he was keeping the locket with him when Dumbledore asked,

"Have you still no reservations of using dark magic? Cursed fire is extremely unpredictable and difficult to control for anyone. The repercussions if unsuccessful could be abundant."

Regulus was glad he had feigned uncertainty at his ability to control fiendfyre. He had had plenty of practice casting it, and knew for a fact he could control it. Somehow he did not think his companions would be mollified by that.

"With all due respect, sir, I believe the intent to be far more important than the spell itself. It's no secret a well-placed severing charm is capable of killing someone, though no one considers the severing charm to be 'dark'. This is a horcrux we are talking about. Any means used to rid us of it will be nothing by comparison in terms of darkness to the thing itself.

"That said, if you are able to find a means to destroy them that is not 'dark,' I have no objections to using that method. I warn you though that in my research I have found nothing, unless perhaps you have access to basilisk venom? You could possibly buy some in Knockturn Alley if you so choose, though its authenticity would be questionable at best.

"As to where the locket is to reside, I've no intention of letting it out of my possession." Regulus' tone was calm but firm.

Dumbledore fixed him with his best grandfatherly expression before replying, "I understand your concern. You certainly risked a great deal in retrieving the locket, which goes a long way for showing remorse for your previous actions. To my knowledge you have never been directly linked to any death eater crimes, I think it possible we might very well be able to keep you out of Azkaban if that is what you are concerned about."

Regulus sighed inwardly, he was not trying to use the horcrux as leverage. Perhaps he should not have divulged so much of his findings all at once. It was becoming plain to him now that Dumbledore was not going to be agreeable to his plans. He could not think of anyway of insisting he hold onto the locket without raising suspicion. He decided the truth would be his best option. Resignedly, he lifted up the left sleeve of the hospital pajamas he wore and allowed his comrades to ogle the dark mark as he explained,

"Every death eater has this branded into their left forearm. Among other things it acts as a tracking mechanism. I was given 48 hours to either convert or kill Sirius. I've no intention of doing either, nor do I intend to return to Voldemort. When the remainder of my time runs out, it will only be a short time before the hunt begins. The death eaters will be sent out to accost me and I will most likely be killed. Faking my death will not help anything if I cannot alter the mark; my continued existence would not go unnoticed and I would stand no chance of resisting capture forever."

"Can it be removed?" Sirius asked, genuine concern evident in his tone.

"I have an inkling of something that might work, but it involves the use of a horcrux, that until now I did not have possession of."

Dumbledore had kept a calm guise up for the entirety of the conversation thus far but Regulus was noticing his act to be slipping ever so slightly. Regulus was very good at reading people and it was obvious to him Dumbledore was struggling to keep up his façade.

"To use one piece of dark magic to rid oneself of another seems incredibly cavalier, especially when both pieces of magic were originated by Voldemort. Have you thought this through? The implications could be astronomical."

"I've really no other choice at this point, sir. The research I have done on the matter leads me to believe the worse that could happen is that I will die, while the horcrux would remain unscathed. If I do not have this mark removed I am going to die anyway. At least this way it might be with a bit more dignity than what Voldemort would ever allow," Regulus replied bitterly.

"I do not believe you have considered all of your options. Have you given any thought for turning spy for The Order? It sounds as though you are still believed to be a loyal follower, and the insight you could provide would be most advantageous."

Sirius interjected scathingly, "Would you have him to turn me or to kill me then, sir? Those were his orders, remember?"

"Yes, my memory is as good as ever, Sirius, and you are known to be an excellent duelist. Would it not be plausible that young Regulus tried his best but was unable to overpower his older brother?"

"I won't do it," Regulus stated firmly.

"Think of all of the innocent lives you could save. Surely the punishment for failing in this one mission would be worth that?"

"It's not that. I just…I can't." Regulus finished lamely. He had been looking down at his hands and upon looking up he found two sets of eyes intently on him. To his surprise Sirius looked more apprehensive than anything else, while Dumbledore was beginning to become visibly agitated despite his best efforts to hide it.

"Perhaps you just need to think about it some more. Maybe if you voice your concerns aloud we can help you sort them through."

Regulus wondered if the headmaster treated everyone as if they were perpetual children but decided to be tolerant, if only not to alienate his only two potential allies.

"It would be far too easy for any spy to forget themselves, forget which side they truly belong to. If it were only about deceiving Voldemort it would be one thing. Nearly all of my family and friends are death eaters or sympathizers at best. I will not deceive them in such a way."

"Yet the only alternative you have presented is faking your own death. How could that possibly be any better?"

"Regulus has a point, sir." Sirius cut in before Regulus could respond, "He has always been far more loyal to our family than they deserve. But Regulus, if you are unwilling to renounce all of those who support Voldemort, what is it that you are planning to do?"

"If I manage to find a way to alter the mark I will fake my own death, adopt a new identity and keep a low profile. All the while I would be doing all I could to find more of the horcruxes. As I'll be believed dead I would not be in contact with anyone that could connect me to my past. When the war is over I suspect I would leave the country. There would be nothing keeping me here after all." Regulus said all of this with an air of indifference, though his heart was aching at the thought of likely never speaking to anyone he cared about ever again.

If he did become a spy he could remain in contact with his family. While he secretly agreed to disagree with the majority of their beliefs, they were his family and that meant something to him, even if it didn't to anyone else. Becoming a spy would require him to continue doing Voldemort's bidding. That was something he was unsure he could stomach anymore.

"I suggest you take the rest of the evening to reconsider. I think after careful consideration you will realize that becoming a spy would be in everyone's best interest. It would be most difficult to infiltrate the death eater ranks by other means in the present climate. As your brother said, you care for your family. Keeping up the appearances of faithful death eater would allow you to both remain in contact with them as well as provide valuable information to The Order. An added benefit would be that you would be in close contact with Voldemort and may be able to pick up on more leads as to where the other horcruxes are located.

"I've thought about it already, professor. Long before now. I've never had any intention of becoming a spy. Nothing will change that. As far as my family, they would much prefer to believe I upheld their beliefs and traditions only to meet an untimely death. It would be safer for my parents in that regard as well. And if given the choice, I would rather be remembered in a way my family finds honorable, regardless of what the wizarding world as a whole would think of me."

"Very well, I suggest we all get some rest. We will meet again in the morning to discuss how to proceed tomorrow evening. I plead you do reconsider your options in the meantime. Perhaps in the morning you will have changed your mind. Until then I bid you goodnight."

"Good night, sir."

To Regulus' surprise Sirius did not leave with the headmaster. Sirius seemed to be unsure of his own thoughts of what he had just learned, so Regulus chose to remain silent and continue on with his own plans.

He picked up the letter Evan had sent him and cast a spell to incinerate it. He then transfigured his hospital clothes into presentable robes. After conjuring a mirror and finding his face to be mostly healed, he stood up.

"Going somewhere?"

"As much as I'd like to sleep, there is far too much to be done for that."

"Where are you going?"

"Gringotts, and then maybe to arrange my murder with Evan."

Regulus then picked up a now empty water cup from his bedside table and began turning into a port key. When he finished he turned to Sirius, "Are you coming?"

Sirius looked at him in surprise and only just managed to grab on to the cup before it began to glow blue, sending the brothers far away from Hogwarts.

**Would you prefer if Regulus became a spy? Let me know what you think. ****Thanks for reading!**


	13. Scheming

**I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

><p>Sirius Black's mind was officially blown. Everything he thought to be real in the world shattered. Certainly everything he believed to be true of his brother at any rate.<p>

Regulus wanted the disgusting brand on his arm removed not for sake of vanity, though that would certainly be justified, or even so as to save his own neck and escape to another country. His little brother wanted the mark to be removed so that he could actively join in the regime opposing Voldemort. He wanted to hunt horcruxes and take down the man he once idolized. The man who was quite possibly the most powerful wizard of the century. How incredibly un-Slytherin.

Sirius was surprised when Regulus asked him if he were going to come with him. He had grabbed the port key without hesitation, though at the time he did not really know why it seemed so important. He realized now it was because he wanted the opportunity to know his brother. If things were as grim as Regulus had said, this very well could be his last opportunity.

Regulus' port key had landed the brothers just outside the steps of Gringotts, where they were quickly escorted in to the Black Family accounts manager, Ragnok's office. Sirius was briefed initially on the goblins and Regulus' strategy for removing the mark. Since then, he had been sitting in a hard, wooden chair for nearly an hour listening as Regulus and half a dozen goblins hashed out the finer points of the Protean Charm and horcruxes. Sirius had been unable to follow what he had internally labeled, "geek talk" around 43 minutes ago.

It was not entirely the complicated subject matter that kept Sirius from paying attention properly. It was also the interaction itself. The group had seemingly gotten a bit off topic now. Regulus was currently partaking in an entirely civil discussion as to whether Slytherin's locket should belong to the goblin kingdom that created it or to the wizards who purchased it. A civil conversation about ownership. With goblins.

Regulus was treating them in a way that, if not friendly, then certainly with respect. Kreacher was one thing. Sirius had been the heir of the family, and as such had received more attention from their parents when they were younger. Because of this, Sirius knew that in some ways, the house elf had raised Regulus. While Kreacher was always contemptuous towards Sirius, even then, he genuinely cared for Regulus. This was different though, these were goblins. Wizards were generally not kind to goblins, especially not the Blacks.

Their parents had only ever been passably civil with the goblins and that was only because they knew that goblins could make life difficult if provoked, they did control the money after all. Sirius had always thought Regulus simply adopted their parent's disdainful attitude and believed everything was beneath him. Sirius was beginning to question that. In fact, he was beginning to wonder if the younger Black did not consider the goblins to be equals. It certainly seemed that way given their present interaction.

How could Regulus be so well adjusted after having grown up in the way they had? Sirius had never been as impressionable as Regulus. He had also escaped from his family when he was 16, yet he still struggled with adapting to situations on occasion. He would certainly never be able to remain calm amongst goblins as they disparaged the name of 'wand carriers' at every opportunity. Yet here Regulus sat, seemingly unaffected by the slander, just as calm and polite as ever.

Regulus' current demeanor was something that had annoyed Sirius to no end when they were younger. Regulus was always so infuriatingly calm, even when he should be getting angry. Sirius was biting his tongue to force himself to remain quiet, and was only able to do so with extreme effort. If not for the goblins being Regulus' only chance of ridding himself of the dark mark in the next twenty four hours, Sirius would not even bother with keeping his temper in check. He briefly considered if Regulus might only be indulging the goblins for this same reason. Upon looking at his brother though he knew this to be untrue. Regulus was unoffended by their insults and was genuinely interested in what they had to say.

At long last the meeting concluded and the two brothers left Gringotts together. Both were wearing heavy cloaks wrapped tightly around themselves, serving the dual purpose of blocking out the frigid night's air as well as concealing their identities.

Upon exiting Gringotts, Regulus apparently noticed Sirius' agitation and pushed him into the nearest alley. Despite not having encountered anyone, he cast privacy wards around them before asking,

"What is wrong with you?"

"Did you not hear what those goblins were saying? They insulted us six ways from Sunday and you just kept talking to them as if it was no big deal."

Regulus let out a long suffering sigh, "They are goblins, Sirius. It is in their nature to distrust wizards. It is because of how wizards have treated them in the past that they speak of our kind with disdain".

"How wizards treated them in the past has nothing to do with us."

"Doesn't it? What have we done to bridge the gap between our kind and theirs? They remain second class citizens at best."

"How can you care about the rights of magical creatures when you were a death eater? What about the rights of muggleborns? They have just as much magic as we do, and you were all too happy to become a death eater so as to kill all of them!"

"I did not join the death eaters because I wanted to kill every muggle and muggleborn. I joined because I wanted to preserve the traditions of our own magic. Magical creatures have their own ancient magic and they value their traditions, as more wizards should.

"Goblins pride themselves on the workmanship of their ancestors, they have been taught to masterfully craft fine jewelry and weaponry for centuries and continue the trade with honor.

"House elves understand their magic is more powerful when they are bound to a magical family. Their descendants remain with their chosen family, so as to continue to strengthen their own magic.

"Centaurs have studied the divinities for a millennium, and have become so attuned to the position of the stars and planets they are able to predict what the future holds better than any 'seer' could ever claim.

"Most magical entities hold firm to their own traditions. Wizards do not. It has become common practice for spells to be removed from our education because they are believed to be 'too dark'. Some of the most powerful healing magic has fallen into this category. While magical creatures have continued to develop their magic, wizards remain stagnant. Instead of further developing our ancestor's knowledge and advancing our own abilities we are allowing that knowledge to be lost. I do not care about blood purity, but I will never stop valuing our traditions."

"You don't care about blood purity?"

"No, but I'll admit that I used to."

"What changed your mind?"

"This is hardly the time to be discussing the intricacies of the world Sirius, we are running out of time."

Sirius let the topic go reluctantly, they were running low on time, "So, what's next then?"

"I'm hopefully going to find Evan and devise a plan for my tragic death."

"What about Dumbledore's advice?"

"To become a spy? As I said earlier, I've no intention of becoming a spy, Sirius. I've been trying to find a way out of the death eaters since almost immediately after joining. I will die returning that damned horcrux to the inferi before I willingly go back to the death eaters. To hell with whatever Dumbledore advises."

Sirius was torn. He had never had any reason to question Dumbledore before. The man always seemed to know what the best course of action was. This was his brother though, and if he had finally realized the idiocy of what those bastards were doing, then he sure as hell wanted him as far away from them and their influence as possible. Especially considering the weakness Regulus had always held for their family. Damn he hated all of them, they deserved anything but his loyalty.

"Alright then. We will devise a plan for your 'death'. We don't need Rosier to do it though. You're far better off if he believes you to be dead as well."

"In other words you don't trust him."

"Of course I don't, he's a death eater!"

"As am I. He is also my best friend, and has been since I was eleven."

"Friends mean nothing within the death eaters."

"Spoken as if you would know. Granted, in most cases I would agree with you."

"In all cases, Regulus. You can't trust any of them, especially not to help you escape them. That would be suicidal."

"You don't have to come with me. It's probably better if you don't actually. You've never really spoken civilly to Evan before…"

"Wait, just. Think about it for a minute. If Rosier can be trusted…which I doubt, isn't that a bit obvious? It's no secret the two of you are friends."

Regulus laughed derisively, "Voldemort certainly knows nothing of friendship. If anyone were a friend to him it would have been Evan's father. He was one of the original death eaters. Care to guess where he is now?"

"Rotting in hell would be most appropriate," Sirius answered scathingly.

"Close enough. He's in Azkaban. He's been rotting in there for almost a year. Voldemort has every intention of getting him out, of course. He's even had the ministry employee responsible for releasing prisoners in Azkaban placed under the Imperious Curse. What a shame Voldemort is too busy to give the actual order for the release of his 'friend'.

"Evan will be rewarded if he is the one that 'kills' me. Voldemort would never really believe that he could be more loyal to me than to 'the cause'. Evan's occlumency shields are strong enough to hide the truth. He is also a masterful strategist, and can help us come up with a much more seamless plan than we could manage alone."

"Whatever, I'm coming with you though, if only to say I told you so after he tries to kill you."

"Wonderful," Regulus replied, before grabbing Sirius' arm and disapparating.

* * *

><p>Sirius and Regulus reappeared in front of an unspectacular apartment complex in the center of London.<p>

"What the…?"

Regulus smirked, "No better place to hide but in the middle of plain sight," Regulus then deliberately blocked the dozens of buttons besides the entrance from Sirius' view before selecting one.

"But it's so… muggle."

Regulus raised an elegant eyebrow, "does that offend you? I was of the impression you were quite fond of muggles."

A groggy voice then came through a speaker and asked, "Who is it?"

"Do you expect anyone with ill intent to give an honest answer? Least of all at 4AM. We're here to kill you obviously, let us in."

After a brief pause, Rosier responded "screw you Black." Sirius thought for a moment they were being sent away, but Regulus seemed unconcerned with the response and remained standing near the entrance. Sirius wondered why he didn't use a spell to unlock the door if he wanted in so badly but as he himself did not want to go inside did not voice his idea.

A couple of minutes later, Evan Rosier opened the glass door and immediately let Regulus in, before blocking Sirius' entrance.

"What's he doing here?"

"We need to talk to you. He isn't going to try to fight you or anything."

"Then why is he armed?"

Regulus turned to look at Sirius and saw that he did in fact have his wand in his hand, posed to strike, "Because he is an idiot. Sirius, put your wand away." He then asked Rosier, "Can you please undo the enchantments to let him in? He won't try anything I promise."

Evan's eyes never left Sirius. He scrunched his eyebrows together and Regulus followed his gaze to look again at Sirius. Upon noticing the latter was still armed, Regulus withdrew his own wand and disarmed Sirius before the elder knew what happened.

Regulus then took both his and his brother's wands and shoved them into his pocket, leaving Sirius to stand in front of the two death eaters unarmed.

"What the hell, Regulus?"

"I told you to put it away and you didn't listen. If you are going to act like a petulant child then I will treat you like one," Regulus replied in an obnoxiously smug tone.

Evan stared at Regulus for several moments with an indecipherable look, probably wondering the same thing Sirius was, 'are you insane?' After a moment, Rosier smirked and brandished his wand. It was all Sirius could do not to make a break for it. He had entirely too much pride to run away.

Sirius was eternally grateful a moment later that he had stayed put when he realized that Rosier was not aiming a curse at him but had instead begun casting an intricate wand pattern in the general direction of the entrance. After a few moments, he apparently finished and without saying a word retreated farther into the apartment complex. Regulus smirked and then held the door open for Sirius.

Sirius followed Regulus as he led him to a stairwell and they began to climb. Rosier was nowhere in sight. It seemed he had taken a different route. 'Probably gone to set up an ambush', Sirius thought wryly.

"I'm glad to know who you would choose if given the choice between me and Rosier," Sirius stated bitterly.

"If you were a bit more observant, you might have noticed Evan had not even drawn his wand."

"You had no way to know that he wouldn't though. You could have disarmed him as a precaution if nothing else."

"He needed his wand to undo the enchantments, less we would still be standing in the entryway.

Sirius sighed in irritation, but tried his best to let it go. After all, he knew given the choice between James and Regulus, the latter would have been who he disarmed.

"How do the enchantments work on a muggle residence?"

"They were originally keyed to allow in all muggles, and block out all wizards, with the exception of Evan. He has since keyed me into the wards, but no one else that I know of. Apart from you of course, but no doubt he will be taking you out as soon as we leave. He should probably take me out too come to think of it."

They walked for several minutes in silence before Sirius asked, "Is there another way besides the stairs?" This had to be at least the eighth floor, yet they continued to climb.

"There is something the muggles call an elevator, but it is enchanted as well. Evan did not key you into its wards. I presume that is his way of showing his displeasure of your presence," Regulus replied in a slightly amused tone. Sirius was annoyed.

"How many more flights of stairs are there?" He asked a few moments later as they continued to climb ever higher.

Regulus did not respond verbally, possibly being too out of breathe to do so. He was not yet over his recent ordeal and as Sirius looked at him he noticed he looked quite miserable. Finally Regulus gestured to the door on the landing they were approaching and blessedly the stair climb was over.

"Wait, at least give me my wand back," Sirius said somewhere between a demand and a plea.

Regulus pulled it out but before handing it to him said, "Evan will not attack you unless you attack him first. If you can adopt that same level of self-control, you will not need this." He then handed the wand back to Sirius and continued down the hallway. Sirius followed him until they came to an unremarkable black door. After knocking lightly he opened the door and walked in.

Sirius followed him hesitantly and was surprised to find a rather normal looking living space inside. Rosier must have left his undoubtedly large collection of illegal or otherwise incriminating possessions at his family's manor, Sirius mused. Regulus walked purposely through the main living space and into the kitchen. There Rosier was sitting at the table with a large glass of firewhisky in front of him. Without looking up he asked,

"Did it occur to you that showing up with your brother might fall into the category of being too late to be helped?"

"Yes, but as my death will likely be celebrated after tomorrow, I thought it most appropriate to offer you first dibs."

"I could just kill your brother instead," Rosier replied curtly, "Lucius told me of your mission. It doesn't look as if you have any plans to fulfill it."

Sirius observed the two's interaction warily. While it did not appear Rosier planned to attack either of them, Sirius had his doubts he would help Regulus in the way that he was hoping. If Rosier was found to aid a traitor, his fate would be sealed in a most certainly unpleasant fashion.

"While I appreciate the sentiment, I would much rather be believed dead than for Sirius to actually be dead."

"Is this where you finally admit you made a mistake in joining the death eaters?" Evan asked.

Regulus rolled his eyes, "as if I have to admit it. You've known from the beginning."

"I told you this would happen! I told you that you weren't cut out for it, that you should not join. Did you listen?"

"If it helps you were the only person who told me not to. There was nothing you could have done to have changed my mind, especially seeing as you were joining yourself," Regulus replied sheepishly.

Rosier let out a sigh of exasperation, "I do not think you will be killed by refusing to kill Sirius. Tortured yes, not killed. I suspect Bellatrix will be given the honors once you fail in your mission," Rosier replied in an almost clinical manner.

"That does not explain why you are wanting to be believed dead or the fact that you almost look dead already. Am I right to assume something more has happened to warrant your death necessary? Granted, I do not want to know any details if that is the case."

"Yes, and before you ask, I think I have a means to rid myself of the dark mark, or at least properties of it that would allow my continued existence to be known."

"Well, that is something at least. What are your plans once you are to be assumed dead?"

"I'm not sure yet, it depends on what happens I suppose."

"You are lying. The only logical thing you could possibly do is leave the country. You have no other options if you want to live. As you did not tell me that upfront it means you have other plans."

Sirius observed the encounter between the death eaters with a feeling that could only be regret. Evan Rosier was acting every bit the brother that Sirius used to be. He had felt his heart nearly jump into his stomach when Regulus confessed Rosier as the only person who told him not to join the death eaters. If the most sensible person in Regulus' life was a second generation death eater, he truly was set up to fail, Sirius thought miserably.

"That would be ideal of course, but a lot of things could delay my departure. Are you willing to help?"

"I told you I would, you idiot. What do you have in mind?"

"We do not have a plan as of yet. We need something that is witnessed by enough death eaters to be believable. The sole responsible party cannot be you though, in case my continued existence is discovered. It would be most believable if I were to find myself in some type of ambush, however actually surviving that encounter would prove difficult. I've considered draught of living death, but if the orders are to bring my body back dead or alive then that will not serve our purpose."

"The orders will be to bring you back alive if at all possible, however I've no doubt that he will order for your body to be brought to him whether you live or die. He reluctantly acknowledges you to be brilliant minded. You are also the heir to the one of the oldest and most wealthy families in existence. I think it unlikely that he will relinquish your knowledge or influence easily."

Sirius was confused by that statement, but it seemed to mean something to Regulus,

"What does that mean?"

Regulus glanced at him before replying hesitantly, 'The Dark Lord is well studied in the boundaries of what the dead can and cannot do-"

"How can the dead do anything? They are dead,"

"Not so much what the dead can do, but what he can do with their bodies. You already know he has created inferi. He has, in the past, been successful with possessing one's body, dead or not. Though as far as I know he has not found a way as of yet to effectively preserve the body for any extended period of time," Regulus' replied distastefully.

Evan added, "He is also well studied in the mind arts…of both the living and the dead. He has found a means to procure information from the minds of the dead, though I'm not sure how much time can pass before that window is closed. Once the body begins to decompose it would certainly be difficult, though I think it becomes ever more challenging even before then."

"I can certainly see why you two were so eager to join the death eater ranks then. Awe inspiring that one," Sirius remarked sardonically.

Evan smirked, "Now, now don't forget where you are Black. I have refrained from cursing you in the past for the sake of Regulus' overly sentimental nature. If you are going to be disrespectful though I may not be able to restrain myself."

"Inability to control oneself is unbecoming of a former Slytherin. We need to focus," Regulus interjected before Sirius could respond.

Reluctantly Sirius held his tongue, knowing Regulus really was running out of time, and they still did not have a plan. From there they began tossing around ideas, some more practical than others. Most of Rosier's ideas were a bit morbid, Sirius' ridiculously reckless and Regulus' somewhere in between.

After what seemed like hours, and several glasses of firewhisky, Sirius threw up his hands and declared,

"This is hopeless, we might as well just say he was drowned by inferi!"

Regulus shot him a warning look, but Evan did not notice and apparently thought Sirius was actually being serious for once.

"That's brilliant!"

"No, its not," Regulus said faintly. He actually looked quite terrified.

"Well not the drowning part, that would be excruciating. But the inferi! We could create one, feed it polyjuice potion to look like Reg. We could even charm it to take on some of his mannerisms so as to be believable. I will bring the most destructive people with me to find the imposter, Regulus you know who I mean, I'm not about to be dropping names of death eaters in front of your brother. Those death eaters will ensure that by the time the polyjuice potion has worn off there is no part of the body left that could possibly be distinguished anyway."

"That's…I really don't want to use an inferi-" Regulus began before being cut off by Sirius,

"It's the best option we have so far, with the small problem of requiring a dead body," wow, things really were dire if he was so readily agreeing to create an inferius…best not to tell James.

To that Rosier laughed as Regulus remarked, "This is London, it shouldn't be too difficult if you know where to look."

At that comment the former's laughter died and his expression looked distinctively guilty, "I can find us one."

The Black brothers shared a look but did not question him.

Regulus stated, "I don't think polyjuice will work on the dead. We will have to use charms or transfiguration to make it resemble me as closely as possible. There would be no need for the death eater's to get close enough to the imposter to notice, especially if it runs from them like a coward. That would ensure all identifying features would be damaged enough by the time they were finished. The Dark Lord would not be able to find a mind to study," Regulus stated with a good effort at not sounding bitter, though neither of his companions missed his tone.

After spending sometime mapping out the details of their plan, the brothers bid Rosier goodbye and made to leave. Sirius, in a rare moment of intuitiveness, stepped out into the hall to give the death eaters a chance to talk alone. Rosier had grown on him slightly. He had a very quick, albeit dry humor. And while he was definitely creepy, (because really who just knows where to find a dead body unless they are responsible for it?) it was obvious he cared about Regulus. Despite his flawed morals, he had unquestioningly been a better 'brother' to him than Sirius had in a long time.

Regulus' POV

"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Evan asked.

"Yes, I know it isn't ideal but I'm running out of time to come up with anything more sound."

"I would do more to try to convince you to change your mind and just stay with the death eaters, but you never really belonged to begin with did you? It would only be a matter of time before you were given another order that would either lead to you being tortured for not completing, or you would fulfill and be utterly devastated. I'm not sure how many times you could fail to complete orders and still be allowed to live, no matter who you are. At least this gives you a chance at surviving."

"Right well, thank you for…everything" Regulus said, which did not even begin to describe the gratitude he really felt. He was mostly trying to keep his emotions in check at this point. It had been tumultuous couple of days already and he was now saying goodbye to his best friend for likely the last time.

No one else could ever come as close to understanding him and what he had gone through, since joining the death eaters. There had been countless occasions that if Evan had not been there, Regulus would not have been able to maintain his persona as an emotionless, and obedient death eater. Evan was the epitome of self-control, yet he had claimed to being overcome with blood lust on more than one occasion so as to save Regulus from having to do something he could not bring himself to do.

Regulus had never asked him to do it, it was as if he just knew. As if he thought that if Regulus crossed some invisible line he would lose some essence of himself. Regulus was unsure whether Evan believed it more likely he would snap and become as sadistic as Bellatrix or so depressed that he would be self-destructive. He had never asked. All Regulus knew, is that he owed any semblance of sanity he had managed to maintain to Evan.

Evan just nodded in response. He looked as if he wanted to say something but didn't know how. Neither of them had ever been particularly good at any sort of openness. They had both been taught to hide their emotions since they could talk, after all.

After a moment Regulus said, "When you remove Sirius from the wards, you should probably take me out as well, so as to avoid suspicion."

"I'll leave you in, just in case. Besides, no one else knows where I live and I can always say I didn't think to remove you since I believed you to be dead."

"Alright then, well, I guess this goodbye," Regulus began awkwardly, as he stuck out his hand so as to shake Evan's, which turned into more of an awkward one armed man hug.

"Take care of yourself,"

"Yeah, you too."

"By taking care of yourself I meant, leave the country."

Regulus gave a half smile, "I'll see what I can do," before joining Sirius in the hallway.

As they began their trek down the stairs Sirius began, "We better head over now if we don't want to be late for our meeting with Dumbledore, the house elves can get us some breakfast."

Regulus stopped and turned to look at Sirius,

"For what purpose? To see if he approves of our plan? I think we already know the answer to that one, Sirius, he doesn't. He disapproved of the use of dark magic when its sole purpose was to rid us of a horcrux. Creating an inferius? He'd be more likely to forgive you if you became a death eater. At least then he could have his spy."

"Yes, but-"

"No, if you want to go then go, I am not. If he learns of our plan he will do anything he can to stop us. I am not going to be anywhere reachable by him today."

They were exiting the apartment complex into the bright morning sunshine, when Sirius asked,

"Where are you going now?"

"I thought I might go back to Grimmauld Place and rest for a couple of hours. It will likely be the last time I can ever step foot in there."

"That's too depressing of a place to be on what could possibly be your last day of life," Sirius said in a tone obviously meant to cheer the younger Black up.

Wearily, Regulus asked, "and what do you have in mind?"

"Strip club. If you are going to die, it should at least be as a man."

Regulus sputtered indignantly for a moment before, "Sirius, I've not lived under a rock for the past 18 years!" before abruptly turning on the spot and disappearing.

* * *

><p><strong>Please let me know if you like, hate or anything in between. Anyone think Sirius would refuse to dally in the dark arts if it meant he could save his brother?<strong>

**Thanks for reading.**


	14. Pancakes and Goodbye to Grimmauld

**I do not own Harry Potter...**

Sirius stood on the sidewalk where he had watched Regulus disapparate from, contemplating what he should do next. The immediate sense of urgency was gone for the time being as they could not implement any of their plan until later on in the day. Rosier first had to procure them a body, and then, as neither Regulus nor Sirius wanted to babysit a rogue inferius for the afternoon, it made most sense to wait until closer to the time when the faux Regulus would be needed, to create it.

For a moment, Sirius considered the opportunities 'babysitting' an inferius could bring. Regulus was obviously traumatized by his experience in the cave. Had it been a bit longer than a day and a half ago, Sirius would definitely be playing a prank on his brother. Unfortunately it was a bit too soon after the near drowning episode for even Sirius to find it acceptably prank worthy yet. That wouldn't stop him from storing the idea up for a later date though, he had a pretty good idea what Regulus' boggart would be.

Unsurprisingly, Regulus had never created an inferius before, but (surprisingly) had studied the theory behind it and believed himself capable. Why anyone would ever study the theory behind creating an inferius, Sirius could not fathom. Regulus remained as evasive as ever when questioned, so Sirius was unsure if the material had been required reading by their family or if he had read it of his own accord. Either way, Regulus was adamant he had never planned to create one, so at least there was that small comfort.

Sirius briefly considered again going to Dumbledore to let him know, not of the plan necessarily, but perhaps that Regulus' impending death announcement may or may not actually be real. Whether they were successful in faking Regulus' death or not, there would likely be rumors of his murder circulating by tomorrow. Sirius could only hope they would be false. He thought it might be prudent for them to inform the headmaster of the situation though, since it was possible they would need to use the Hogwarts infirmary again. If James were in on the situation, he would definitely want to go to Dumbledore.

However, it was not James, but Regulus that was involved in the situation, and he was strictly against going to Dumbledore. The more Sirius considered his options, the less appealing the idea of speaking with the headmaster today became. Regulus was right that he would never approve of their plan. Judging by Regulus' desire to be inaccessible today, he seemed to be of the impression Dumbledore was not above sabotaging it. Sirius doubted the headmaster capable of being that manipulative, but was not willing to risk it. If for no other reason than to maintain whatever amount of his brother's confidence he had salvaged in the past day and a half.

Since they had successfully devised a plan, Sirius was feeling a bit more assured that things might actually work out. If all went as planned, Regulus would be having his mark altered concurrently with when the inferius/faux Regulus was being attacked. Thereby, his connection with Voldemort would be lost as near to when the inferius' body was destroyed as possible. Sirius tried not to think about all that could go wrong, not only with the role he was going to play, but especially with Regulus' 'operation'. It would be disheartening to say the least, if after everything, the mark could not be removed, or worse, Regulus died in the effort.

Regulus deserved to live. And while Sirius would never have considered being an accomplice to the ghastly act of creating an inferius, he would do it if it meant he could save his brother. There was a time he would not have, two days ago, even, but Sirius had no doubt now that his brother wanted to try to do the right thing with the second chance he had been given.

Obviously Regulus had made his fair share of mistakes, and if Sirius were honest with himself, he did not want to know what all they entailed. In his defense, Regulus had had nothing but terrible influences in his life when he joined the death eaters, or for most of his life for that matter. Yet, after joining he still managed to realize what they were doing was wrong.

He had been willing to sacrifice his own life to steal and destroy a piece of Voldemort's soul. If that was not enough to absolve some of his past indiscretions, then surely his willingness to hunt more horcruxes and destroy them was. No one would even know Voldemort was immortal without Regulus' change in allegiance, which had to count for something.

Sirius was pulled from his own thoughts when his stomach began to growl reminding him of his current priorities. Food. Not feeling like eating alone, or being alone with his current thoughts anymore, he apparated to the place he knew he could find both a hot meal and friends, James and Lily's.

He knocked briefly on the door of their cottage, and refrained from letting himself in. He had made the mistake of forgetting James and Lily were newlyweds more than once and was not anxious for it to happen again. If Sirius had not grown up listening to the unforgiving shrieks of one, Walburga Black, then Lily Potter would have been quite frightening. While Sirius was immune to the outbursts of upset women, Lily could certainly terrify James and Peter when she wanted to.

After a moment of waiting, James answered the door, "Hey Pads, here for some breakfast?" as he held the door open.

"Sure if you have extra," Sirius grinned as he walked in and made his way towards the kitchen.

"Of course, Lily thought we might have visitors and made plenty. Where were you yesterday? I went to your place but you weren't there."

"I ran into someone I hadn't seen in a while, spent the evening catching up."

"Oh really? What bird was it?" James asked wiggling his eyebrows.

"It- Good morning Lily!" Sirius exclaimed as they entered the kitchen. Lily was sitting at the table reading the 'Daily Prophet,' with a plate of half eaten pancakes.

"Good morning Sirius, I thought you might be by today. Help yourself to some pancakes."

"Pancakes sound amazing! I can't tell you the last time I ate," Sirius said as he sat down next to Lily and began making himself a plate.

She made a face, "You smell as if it hasn't been long since you had something to drink."

"Oh yeah sorry, I should have showered first. I-"

"He ran into an old 'friend' yesterday. One he had to catch up with. It's no wonder you forgot to eat, Padfoot," James said while grinning like a loon.

"Who was it?" Lily asked before taking another bite of pancake.

"Oh it, I don't want to talk about it."

"What? You always want to talk about it."

"Gross, really? Why would you even want to hear about it, James?" Lily demanded.

"Oh, I- did you hear about the death eater attack in Kenton? Eight muggles were murdered."

"No I hadn't heard," Sirius vaguely wondered if Rosier had been involved and if one of those bodies might be destined to become their inferius. He then became horrified by what he was thinking and tried to distract himself from his own thoughts. He asked, "Any idea of a motive for the attack?"

"Nothing that is being reported," James responded.

"Well, no surprise there. It's obvious the news outlets are all being controlled by 'you know who,' Lily added.

A moment later the doorbell rang, and James went to answer it. He came back a moment later with Remus and Peter.

After the initial greetings were made and the newcomers were fixing themselves plates Peter stated,

"Remus and I have noticed a pattern that Lily prepares pancakes on Saturdays."

"Yes, well they are James' favorite and Saturday is the only day we do not have to rush off to be somewhere," Lily replied.

Lupin grinned, "Yes, neither do we. How fortunate that is."

James recovered his near cheek splitting grin, and lifted his glass, "I hereby move that from this day forward, Saturdays become known as a day for pancakes at the Potters. Attendance is mandatory for all marauders.

"With the exception of full moons, of course," Remus added as he lifted his glass. He was clearly still recovering from the last one, but was still just as pleasant as ever.

Sirius lifted his glass and agreed to the notion, though he was internally wondering whether he would be able to attend or not. His future was greatly weighing on the outcome of this evening's events.

"So what are everyone's plans for today?" James asked.

After learning that no one had any pressing matters, the marauders agreed to spend the morning playing a match of two against two quidditch.

* * *

><p>Regulus woke up abruptly covered in cold sweat and his heart racing. He was vaguely aware that he had yelled out and had possibly been engaged in a battle with nonexistent rotting limbs just before waking up. Trying to free himself from them would explain how he had managed to get himself so ridiculously tangled in his blankets.<p>

He looked at his watch and discovered he had been asleep for all of twenty minutes. He longed to take a dose of dreamless sleep, but did not want to leave it to chance that he would not oversleep. Deciding being exhausted was an improvement over the nightmares, he got up and went to take a much needed shower.

While he had used an abundance of cleaning charms on himself since the cave, nothing compared to a hot shower. He turned the tap hot enough to nearly burn his skin and stayed under the spray for much longer than expressly necessary. After scrubbing his skin until he felt clean again, which required about a week's worth of soap and shampoo, he returned to his bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. Unsurprisingly, Kreacher was in his room with a tray of food prepared. Regulus noticed he had already changed out the covers on his bed and it was again neatly made.

"Hello, Kreacher"

"Kreacher brings Master Regulus brunch," The house elf stated with a deep bow.

"Thank you, Kreacher," Regulus replied politely, though the thought of food made the youngest Black's stomach churn.

"Master must eat, he is much too thin. Kreacher thought Master would want something light. But Kreacher can prepare feast if master wishes."

"That won't be necessary, I'll just have some toast," he said as he picked up a piece from the tray and took a bite. He tried to smile at Kreacher, though the toast tasted like cardboard on his raw throat.

"Would Master like for Kreacher to heal the rest of marks?"

Regulus was not particularly concerned about his current appearance, but knew the house elf desperately wanted to be helpful so he consented.

Freshly healed and half a piece of toast eaten later, the soon to be thought dead Black heir got dressed and went downstairs to the family library. While he was confident he could make an inferius, it would not hurt to review the theory while he had time. Immediately following Kreacher's original stint in the cave, he had studied all he could about the creation and abilities of inferi. Through his review, he managed to find a charm that would allow the inferius to adopt his voice when speaking. Regulus thought it unlikely too many words would be exchanged between him and the death eaters but it couldn't hurt, just in case.

While Regulus was confident in his ability to create an inferius, he did have some concern as to how the inferius would be controlled once created. He was not sure if anything short of an Imperious Curse would be effective enough to meet their specific needs. If that were the case, Regulus doubted he would be able to go to Gringotts until after he was believed dead. By that time, the death eaters would have already reported back to Voldemort. It was likely that Voldemort would immediately begin trying to track Regulus through the mark, which would lead him to Gringotts. Regulus had the foresight to plan for the "trap" to be set in an abandoned building near Gringotts, but it still left more to chance than he cared to think about.

The Black heir could appreciate the irony of the situation, if nothing else. In order to escape the death eaters, he would be doing things far more illegal than he had ever done amongst them. Beginning with the illegal creation of an inferius, likely followed up with an unforgiveable to control the beast.

Growing nauseated thinking about inferi anymore than strictly necessary, the Black heir switched gears and began looking back at horcruxes and the Protean Charm. He wasn't sure what he was most nervous about. As long as Sirius escaped alive and Evan was unsuspected in assisting a traitor, he supposed he should be content enough with the result. He had planned to die in the cave, after all. He at least now had been given the opportunity to pass along information of the horcruxes. He had also been able to somewhat reconnect with his brother, and while he was unsure if they could ever be close again, it made him happier than he cared to admit that his brother was willing to help him.

Sometime in the midafternoon Regulus went back to his room with a couple of carefully chosen books. After digging out his old book bag from school, he placed them into the bag. He then went to his closet and selected a mixture of simple robes, and what little muggle clothing he owned, and added them to the bag. After a few other essentials were added, he shrunk the bag and placed it in the pocket of his current robes, along with the horcrux. He did not take enough to be noticeable, as he would be able to buy more once his new identity was established. He did pack enough so as to prevent the need of buying necessities from becoming a priority though. He was unsure how long of a recovery time he would need following the upcoming ordeal.

The current heir to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black then slowly made his way to the tapestry room. Each room he passed caused a new assault of memories to flood through him. While not all of them were pleasant, they all were his and had shaped him into who he was. Amidst all of the feelings of self-loathing he had struggled with since joining the death eaters, he couldn't help the tiniest feeling of pride in himself.

He had been entirely too sheltered and naive for his own good when he had joined the death eaters. Yet through everything, he had never truly lost himself. Obviously he owed a lot to Evan, and to Rachel while they were still at school for that. Evan kept him from having to participate in torturing more than expressly necessary, and reminded him to stay detached during the grisliest of circumstances. Rachel had been there to listen whenever he was willing to talk about any indiscretions he had been involved in. Though more often than not after a raid, he wouldn't talk about what happened. Even without knowing everything, Rachel could still manage to redirect him before he became too overwhelmed with self-loathing.

He knew he had no right to feel anything but remorse for his shortcomings, but the glimmer of pride he had was involuntary. While he was a bit ashamed that it existed, it did at least help to give him a sense of purpose.

It would have been infinitely more practical for him to have remained a death eater. Bury his emotions, do everything asked of him and drown himself in alcohol and dreamless sleep potion to keep the demons at bay. He had no doubt that was how some of the death eaters must deal with the aftermath of their own malicious actions. He was instead choosing to leave all of the comforts he had ever known to do his part to bring down Voldemort.

While he regretted that most would remember him as bigoted and a coward, it was much more important to keep his family safe. Being known for getting in too deep with the death eaters and wanting to back out after learning what was expected of him was the best way to do that. It wasn't even entirely untrue. He could not do what was expected of him as a death eater, and had not been since joining. That is why he went to the cave in the first place, wasn't it? He couldn't kill Sirius.

Upon approaching the tapestry he observed his own name with a death dated two days prior. He was just about to call for Kreacher when the house elf timidly made his way into the room.

"Master wishes Kreacher to change the date?"

"Yes, Kreacher. I would like for you to change the date to today, this evening. Sirius is planning to come here to let you know immediately after it happens, but if he is held up then sometime around 11:30 will suffice."

"Will Master Regulus still call for Kreacher?"

"No Kreacher, I do not plan to. It would be too suspicious if my parents noticed your absence. It is imperative that I'm believed dead. Mother and father would be at great risk if my survival became known. Please do your best to care for them, Kreacher. I know you will, as you always do, but they will need all of the…loyalty they can get in the upcoming weeks," Regulus replied sadly.

"They's needs you, Master Regulus. Master and Mistress have no other heir."

"They have Sirius. I suspect he will be re-inherited."

Kreacher's eyes bugged out at that, "He is unworthy of the name, Black. That filthy blood traitor broke Mistress' heart!"

"There was fault on all sides where Sirius is concerned, Kreacher. He is a Black, it is his birthright. He is also the rightful heir of the house of Black. Please respect him if he is respectful towards you," Regulus was not about to order his house elf to accept being verbally abused without retribution, but hoped that Sirius' treatment towards Kreacher might improve some since the elf's intervention in Regulus' near drowing experience.

"As Master wishes."

"Mother and father will be back on Monday. You cannot tell them anything of what has happened in their absence."

"Kreacher understands. Kreacher will not speak of it."

"Thank you, Kreacher."

A moment later the doorbell rang, nearly giving Regulus a heart attack. Sirius apparently remembered he was a Black and could enter without being let in, and chose then to do so.

"Never thought I'd see you in here again," Regulus said in a light tone, which required effort given his previous near panic.

"With any luck this will be the last time I'm ever here. It really is a 'grim, old' place," Sirius laughed. Regulus tried not to let the comment affect him. Sirius honestly did not want to return to Grimmauld Place. Regulus actually wanted to but never could.

"Right, well. I guess we might as well get going."

"Do you have everything you need?" Sirius asked him skeptically, noticing Regulus was empty handed.

"Yes, I have a few changes of clothing shrunken in my pocket, and I can buy anything else."

"You won't be able to use your vaults once you are 'dead'."

Leave it to Sirius to state the obvious, "No, but I've taken the maximum allowed from my trust vault each year since I was eleven. When I turned seventeen, I placed that money into an account under a different alias," Regulus replied matter-of-factly.

Sirius' eyebrows rose to near his hairline at that statement, "Paranoid much?"

"More like practical."

"What eleven year old considers creating an alias and smuggling money to be practical?"

"I'm a Black, Sirius. Unlike you, I have embraced the family values of self-preservation and slyness. After watching my brother, the rightful heir of the family, be threatened with disinheritance for something as ridiculous as his school sorting, I thought it prudent to take precautionary measures just in case."

"Just in case what? You were always the favorite. Do you have any idea what mother and father would have done to you if they found out you were smuggling money?"

"It was not smuggling money. It was money available to me in my trust vault. If the money were left untouched it would not have been replaced. By moving the money I ensured it would be refilled to the maximum allowance and then took that money the next year. As for our parents? Looking at our finances is beneath mother. Father must have suspected. He often commented on the inflation that occurred between the year you began school and the year I started. I actually think he was a bit proud to be honest," Regulus added sheepishly.

Sirius was thoroughly bewildered. If Regulus had taken the yearly maximum allowance from his trust since he was eleven, assuming he had not been spending it lavishly, he would likely have enough money to comfortably live on for the rest of his life.

After a moment of silence Regulus added, "I suspect you wish you had done similar? Father told me you had rarely ever touched your trust prior to moving out," obvious humor in his tone.

"Of course not. I managed just fine without stealing, thank you."

Regulus laughed, "You managed by the grace of the Potter's and the change of Uncle Alphard's will at the last minute." Originally Regulus was to inherit everything from their uncle as Sirius would inherit the majority from their parents. Regulus had been the one to suggest the change to his uncle (in secret of course) after Sirius was disinherited, but he saw no reason to divulge that to Sirius now. They did not have time for arguments fueled by Sirius' hurt pride.

"Lucky I was always Uncle Algie's favorite then."

"Whatever you need to believe," Regulus said with a smirk as the brother's began walking to the front door to leave.

At the entryway Regulus stopped and turned to the house elf that had been following them, "Goodbye Kreacher, thank you again for everything."

"Kreacher lives to serve the noble house of Black," the house elf bowed deeply.

Regulus was then staring daggers at Sirius. Finally the elder brother acknowledged him and said, "Yes, thank you Kreacher for your assistance the other night."

The house elf look surprised briefly, before nodding and then scampering back the way they had come from and out of sight.

From just outside the front door Regulus stopped and took one last look inside Number 12 Grimmauld Place. His childhood home had been a safe haven from the outside world for his entire life. His parents had rarely found reason to punish him in the years since Sirius began Hogwarts. While he was unsure if his parents were actually capable of something as 'weak' as love, he knew they cared for him in their own way.

His father had never had much patience for children, but as Regulus had grown older he knew the elder Black had grown, if nothing else, fond of his youngest son. He could also remember a time in the distant past, when he was very young, that his mother had been gentle with him. He suspected the madness that often plagued the Black family began making its presence known in her sometime around his fifth birthday. It had been getting progressively worse ever since.

While Grimmauld Place had certainly been lonely, he would always consider it home. As soon as he closed the door, he felt Sirius grab his arm and experienced the all too familiar sensation of being squeezed through a tube as the two apparated away from Grimmauld Place.

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><p><strong>Please leave a review to let me know what you think. <strong>Thanks for reading!<strong>**


	15. The Best Laid Plans

_**I do not own Harry Potter**_

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><p>Regulus and Sirius apparated into an ill-used corner of Diagon Alley near Gringotts. The evening was already dark and extremely cold, fitting of late December. The brothers pulled their cloaks nearer to them as they walked purposefully towards a building that had long since been abandoned. It was obvious the people still out on the street were too hurried seeking shelter from the elements and potential death eaters to pay much attention to their surroundings. The brothers crept in the shadows and the few people outdoors, did not notice them.<p>

The building had belonged to Alphard Black, but had been left empty for nearly a decade, ever since he had begun to grow ill. As they approached the back of the building, Regulus cast 'homenum revelio' in order to locate the body Evan had promised to deliver and disillusion earlier in the day. Sirius went to the body, as Regulus walked to the back door and cast, 'Specialis Revelio.' After undoing a couple of minor jinxes, Regulus willed himself to grip the door knob and allowed the remnants of his uncle's magic to examine his worthiness of entry.

Regulus was relatively confident the door would open for him as the last time his Uncle Alphard had been to Diagon Alley, Regulus had been the sole beneficiary on his will. Sirius evidently had his doubts though, for he let out an enormous sigh of relief when the door unlocked a moment later. Regulus absently wondered if Sirius realized this building technically belonged to him now, as he had inherited everything from Uncle Alphard. Being the prime location it was in Diagon Alley, it was a pity it had sat empty for so long.

After pushing the door open, and lighting enough candles to provide decent illumination, Regulus went to help Sirius carry the corpse inside. Regulus was internally pleading with whatever higher power that had not already written him off as a lost cause, that he would not recognize the body as anyone he knew.

Once the dead weight was hauled inside, Regulus was relieved to find he did not recognize the corpse. It did look as if Evan had cast a few glamours on the body already, but given their locations, Regulus suspected the glamours were there to hide whatever damage the body had inflicted in its death, rather than obscure any identifying features of the body.

Regulus was pointedly not looking at Sirius. Neither of them had spoken since arriving at Diagon Alley, and Regulus felt enough disgust with himself to not see the judgment in his brother's eyes. While Sirius knew the plan going in, Regulus had no doubt that he was regretting his participation in this now that they were actually doing it. Regulus too was having doubts, and he had long since become desensitized to dead people…though admittedly after his near drowning experience, they bothered him more than they used to.

Regulus and Sirius gently sat the soon to be inferius in a chair and observed him. He was around the same age and had a similar build as Regulus, though an inch or two shorter. He had nearly shoulder length, straight blond hair and brown eyes. Wasting no time, Regulus shortened the man's hair to match his owns length, then added a bit of wave before changing the color to black. Sirius then cast a charm to change his eye color to gray, which turned out to be a slightly darker shade than Regulus'. Neither of them were concerned enough to modify it.

The faux Regulus had a bit of a darker complexion than Regulus so he cast a spell to lighten his skin by a shade or two. Sirius then proceeded with a succession of transfigurations to make the imposter's jaw line stronger, nose straighter and lips fuller.

Regulus found this all to be a humbling experience. For once the dead, faux Regulus was completed he probably resembled the Black heir's normal appearance more closely than he did himself of late. Faux Regulus looked healthier at any rate, the lack of food and sleep were beginning to take its toll in the youngest Black's features.

Regulus was tempted to add dark circles under faux Regulus' eyes so as to make it believable. He stopped himself though, realizing none of the death eaters apart from maybe Evan would have noticed his recent less than healthy appearance. He settled for shaping up and darkening the eyebrows to more closely resemble his own.

Once they were satisfied that the imposter's appearance was believable, Regulus took out a set of robes and cast a switching spell to change them out with the other male's clothing. Noticing the length was a bit too long, he then did his best to shorten them in a presentable way. A Black never wore anything that was not tailored to fit them perfectly. The death eaters would likely pay more attention to that discrepancy before any difference in his eye color or slightly shortened stature.

When he was finished Regulus asked,

"Are you sure you still want to help with this?"

"Let's just get it over with," Sirius answered tightly.

Regulus closed his eyes for a moment, and took a deep breath before opening them again and focusing on the corpse. He then began reciting the succession of ancient spells required, all the while moving his wand in a complicated pattern over the corpse. When he was finished he warily watched as the body gradually became more life-like.

He chanced a look at Sirius to find him staring fixated at the corpse, a mixture of wonder and revulsion in his expression.

When the transformation was complete the faux Regulus was wild eyed and looked as if he were desperately looking for an exit to bolt from the room through.

"Can you hear me?" Regulus asked it.

The inferius focused its gaze on him then with its now gray, lifeless eyes.

After getting no further response, Regulus asked, "Can you speak?"

When again no answer was supplied, Regulus cast a babbling charm on the inferius and cringed at the results.

The inferius had an unfortunate Scottish accent, and was not particularly eloquent on top of it. Regulus quickly cast the spell to give the inferius, his speaking voice and then cast a mild compulsion charm for the speech to become a bit slower and more articulated.

Regulus was vaguely aware that Sirius was snickering at the contrast. The inferius had adopted his speaking voice, yet with none of the youngest Black's eloquence.

Regulus stated, "We can work on communication skills later, if we have time. He really shouldn't have to say anything if he is trying to avoid capture."

That got the inferius' attention, "avoid capture?" it asked roughly.

"Yes, sorry but we brought you back only to be killed again," Regulus stated flatly, "As you are not technically alive now it will not hurt. Though I will ask that you make an effort to pretend to be injured whenever you are hit by a spell."

"Injured by… a spell?"

"Yes, for instance, if your hand were cut off, that would be very painful if you were alive, correct? It will not hurt you now because you are dead. Though it is important that you pretend to be injured as best as you can."

"Why should I stay here with you if you are only going to have me killed?"

"You won't exactly be killed, as you are already dead, but that's irrelevant. You don't have a choice. I've no qualms about controlling you more forcefully if needed." Regulus responded. He had not intended to be unkind to the inferius, after all, it certainly did not ask to be brought back to life. Apparently Regulus had a bit of misdirected anger towards inferi in general.

"How is that possible?"

"Magic," he answered shortly, before turning to Sirius and adding, "We probably just need to avoid conversation altogether. He really just needs to make an appearance and then run anyway."

"Yes, we probably need to worry more about how he carries himself at this point," Sirius said pointedly.

For at that moment the inferius had stood up and revealed he had an unnaturally atrocious posture. Regulus realized it was due to having a plethora of broken bones and began healing them. The Black heir was trying to remain as clinical and detached in nature as possible. He was hopeful that some of what this person had been through occurred after his death, in transport, and that he did not suffer quite as much as his injuries indicated.

Once all of the bones were healed, the posture was improved dramatically and the brothers believed it to be passable as Regulus,' if only because he was supposed to be literally running for his life.

Regulus began to go over the plan aloud one last time, the faux Regulus was listening intently. When it came to the part of Sirius being disillusioned, Sirius reached into his pocket and pulled out a shimmery material and stated proudly,

"Actually I borrowed James' invisibility cloak. It's been in his family for generations and has proven more dependable than disillusionment."

Regulus knew Potter owned an invisibility cloak, as Sirius had told him about it in one of his first letters home from Hogwarts. It had to have played a big role in all of the pranks 'the marauders' got away with at school. Not having been on particularly good terms with the marauders, Regulus had never actually seen the cloak. He absently reached out and touched the material as he commented,

"Most invisibility cloaks deteriorate within one lifetime."

"Yeah, Dumbledore said the same thing. He wants to study it."

Regulus frowned before replying simply. "Well I hope Potter studies it himself before just giving it to him."

He had only seen a few invisibility cloaks before as they were so rare. As expensive as the ones he had seen were, none of them had been anything near the quality of the one Sirius was holding.

After ensuring everything else of the plan was in place, Regulus went to the door the death eaters would likely enter through and cast a strong compulsion charm. Noticing Sirius' questioning look he said,

"Anyone who comes through here should be hit with a healthy dose of hatred for Regulus Black. Not that anyone Evan brings would need compulsion for that," he added wryly.

"What about Rosier?"

"Either he has enough discipline to resist the compulsion, or he doesn't. Meaning his act will either be sufficiently convincing, or award winning. It can't hurt him. He's far too intelligent to give away anything that would make his assistance to me known to the others, compulsion or not. If their orders really are to bring me back alive at all possible, then faux Regulus' running away justifies killing instead of capture."

"Do you really want to be known for running away? I mean you aren't exactly known for your bravery or anything but… well, the whole purpose of running away was to ensure that your body is effectively blown to smithereens. I've no doubt I can initiate that reaction by verbal assault alone," Sirius attempted to smile but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

Regulus ignored the jibe on his reputation, "You're supposed to be me though, you can't go spouting off about inbreeding being a worse epidemic than muggleborns," Regulus replied scornfully.

"I said that one time and it was to Crabbe. You can't deny the truth in that statement."

"He's a special case," Regulus answered more out of habit than because he actually disliked muggleborns anymore, "I would never be that reckless. It doesn't matter anyway, Regulus Black is dead either way. If the body is not utterly destroyed then Voldemort will know I am alive. If it is known I've changed sides then mother and father will be targeted as well. If I am believed to be loyal but a coward, well no one can be held accountable for that but myself."

Sirius looked doubtful, but refrained from further comment. Regulus was glad for it, as he knew his brother held no love for their parents. Any comments he made would doubtlessly have demonstrated that fact.

After effectively controlling the inferius by casting compulsion charms alone, Regulus was preparing to make his leave for Gringotts. Sirius had just begun practicing his hand at compulsion, when all of a sudden his target took off running for the exit. Sirius managed to stun the inferius about halfway there.

"What was that about?" Regulus demanded.

"Apparently my compulsion charm wasn't quite strong enough," Sirius answered sheepishly.

"Well try again"

After several failed attempts to maintain control over the Inferius, who had apparently decided making a break for it was a much better option than waiting to be 'murdered' again, Regulus stunned the beast and turned to look inquisitively at his brother.

"It's not my fault, I've never had to use compulsion before."

"We learned it in NEWTs."

"Well yes, but I've never used it since. I'm charming enough that I've never actually needed to compel anyone," Sirius grinned in a way that Regulus assumed was meant to exemplify that fact.

Regulus raised an eyebrow, "What a shame our inferius is unimpressed by your charm."

Sirius' face went slightly pink, before he began insisting he just needed to practice a little more.

He was wrong. He couldn't do it, though he seemed to be doing everything right.

"I think I know what the problem is," Regulus stated a few minutes later. "Inferi are made to do their creator's bidding. Your compulsion is not working because you did not create it."

"What can we do about that now?"

"Nothing can be done now. I will just have to postpone going to Gringotts until after the death eaters 'kill' me, I suppose. We can't risk the inferius' lack of cooperation sabotaging my 'murder'.

"You can't do that! Voldemort will begin trying to track you to ensure your dead the moment he hears news of it. The dark mark will take too long to be removed for you to wait until then."

"Unless you have another option, it's all we can do."

"We need something stronger than compulsion. What's stronger than compulsion?"

"The Imperius Curse."

"Anything else?"

"Nothing strong enough for our needs, since I am the one who made the inferius. As I said, we don't have any other options but for me to wait until after-"

"I'll do it."

"Do what?"

"Cast the imperius, obviously. It's the only logical thing."

"You can't cast an unforgiveable."

"Why not? If you can pull them off, I certainly can. At least my target is technically dead," Sirius retorted.

In any other situation Regulus would have laughed, if only Sirius knew how many unforgiveable curses Regulus had not cast. Though the imperius he had never had use for. It was said to be much easier to pull off than the than killing or cruciatus curse, as it was fueled by a strong will for something to be done rather than rage and hate.

"I'm not asking you to cast an unforgiveable spell for me, Sirius that would be ridiculous-"

"Just shut up, I'm already doing it," Sirius said as he pointed his wand at the faux Regulus.

The real Regulus, ended his stunning spell on the inferius and watched as Sirius controlled every movement and speech pattern of the Inferius to match Regulus' mannerisms meticulously.

"That's… really good."

Sirius beamed, "I wouldn't fancy doing this to a real person, but it's not so bad on a corpse."

After observing Sirius' new found skill of total domination for a few minutes, Regulus bid him good bye and good luck before setting off for Gringotts. He didn't know whether he should feel more pleased at the lengths his brother was willing to go to protect him, or ashamed that he was obviously a really bad influence on his brother.

The Black heir was nearing the steps in front of Gringotts when his left forearm began to burn painfully, signaling a summons from his 'master.' It would only be a couple of minutes now before The Dark Lord would realize he was ignoring his summons and order his minions to retrieve him.

His dark mark would undoubtedly be traced to Diagon Alley, and maybe even to his general proximity in the alley. The span of distance between Gringotts and the building where faux Regulus was currently located was small enough that Regulus was unconcerned… at least for the moment.

Regulus was immediately escorted to Ragnok's office, who accompanied him to the carts that normally carry wizards to their vaults. Regulus sat behind the aged goblin and braced himself. They were to be traveling all of the way down, past even where the Black's and other ancient family vaults resided.

Regulus normally enjoyed the cart rides, as they somewhat reminded him of flying. Today he did not. Fortunately, in the past 48 hours he had only eaten around three bites of toast. Had there been anything else in his stomach he was confident he would have vomited as they traveled ever farther down into the building.

As they passed the dragon, which Sirius had affectionately named 'Draco' when they were younger, the dark mark had begun to burn viciously and relentlessly. Regulus' body decided it no longer cared that he had nothing left in his stomach and he began to dry heave out the back of the cart.

Ragnok gave him a disgusted look before, vanishing the mess. "You used to have a stronger stomach," the goblin remarked as they blessedly exited the cart and returned to solid ground.

Regulus just grimaced in response. Between his nerves, the mark burning and just having further irritated his already raw throat, he could not come up with a response that would not be offensive to the goblin. He chose instead to remain silent.

The youngest Black was then shown to a mat on the floor, where he was told he would need to remove his robes and lay down during the procedure. He quickly removed the horcrux from his pocket and handed it to the goblin. Ragnok carefully took it from him just as the other half dozen goblins from the night before entered the room.

Regulus quickly removed his robes and laid down on the mat as he had been told. The goblins all formed a half circle around him and for a moment stood observing him. Normally Regulus would have felt self-conscious laying in the floor in only his trousers while being gawked at. Right now he was mostly concentrating on not dry heaving anymore as the dark mark burned ever stronger. He was certain he was being tracked by now.

Ragnok spoke then, "We will begin in just a moment. I feel it imperative to remind you that it is possible the piece of The Dark Wizard's soul will try to possess you as we proceed. If that happens, and you are unable to fight off the intrusion, we will be forced to kill you. Are you sure you wish to continue?"

Regulus could only nod in response. His eyes were tightly squeezed shut and his teeth were clenched. He feared if he tried to speak he would scream out from the pain his mark was now exuding.

A moment later, Regulus felt one of the goblins take his arm, and slice it along the length of the mark. He then felt the excruciating pain of the horcrux being partially forced inside the cut. A moment later everything went black.

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><p>Sirius was safely hidden beneath James' invisibility cloak and was occasionally forcing the inferius to do random tasks such as touch his nose or cluck like a chicken, just to ensure his 'imperio' was holding.<p>

The more he thought about the plan the more it irritated him. Sirius would like for nothing more than to tell the death eaters they could go screw themselves, and Voldemort too while they were at it. Unfortunately, he knew Regulus would never forgive him if they retaliated against their parents because of it.

Regulus wanted to protect their parents. Sirius could not care less about them, and did not see why Regulus should either. They pushed him to be in the position he was in now, and without their influence Regulus would likely never have joined the death eaters in the first place. He certainly would not have joined if he had been raised by proper parents, like Mr. and Mrs. Potter.

And why should Regulus settle for being thought a coward when he was finally doing the right thing? If he embraced the 'family values' of self-preservation and slyness, then where was his sense of pride? Their parents might prefer to think their youngest son upheld the beliefs and traditions of the family, only to meet an untimely death, but surely they would not want him to lose his sense of pride in the process. The Blacks were well known for their arrogance, after all.

He was pulled from his musings when he heard a series of 'pops' outside, the tell-tale signs of multiple apparitions. Sirius had just made his decision in the nick of time and promptly cast anti-apparition wards on the building, and quickly ducked into the far corner of the room. He then adjusted the invisibility cloak to ensure it was securely around him.

He commanded the faux Regulus to stand tall and proud as the death eaters flooded through the entrance, getting a healthy dose of compulsion to hate Regulus as they entered.

"Well, well, what have we here?" one of the masked death eaters sneered, "Everyone thinks you're so clever, yet your hiding in the first place we look," he then cast a cutting curse at faux Regulus which sliced his shoulder.

Faux Regulus grabbed his shoulder and replied in a convincingly pained voice, "I am not hiding, I've been hoping you would find me."

"You have ignored summons by The Dark Lord. Surely you did not hope to be found."

"I've not been ignoring it by choice. My mark has been burning unbearably."

"Why haven't you returned to the Dark Lord?" Sirius recognized the deep voice of Evan Rosier ask.

"I met with my idiot brother earlier. He sprung a trap, took my wand and I have been magically sealed in this room all day. Didn't you notice his anti-apparition wards when you entered? As if I needed them, I don't even have a wand. Trust me if I could have returned sooner I would have."

"You are lying," one of the other death eaters stated before casting 'waddiwasi' and sending faux Regulus flying across the room and into a wall. It would have had to have been rather painfully, had the inferius actually been able to feel pain.

The faux Regulus picked himself up, making the effort to look appropriately injured yet graceful. He then returned to his original position and stared back at the death eaters defiantly,

"Why would I be waiting here if for no other reason?"

"Perhaps you expect special treatment, as you always do. Do you know Bellatrix suggested the raid at St. Mungo's was for your benefit?" another death eater asked scathingly. Said death eater then cast yet another cutting curse, this time grazing faux Regulus' upper thigh.

That was news to Sirius, "And how would that benefit me?"

"It is not our place to know The Dark Lord's plans! But for Bellatrix to suggest it is most telling," another cutting curse, this one aimed at Regulus' abdomen. Sirius managed to instruct the inferius to dodge it properly this time. Dodging had proved most difficult given his location across the room.

"Perhaps she was mistaken. I do not wish for special treatment, only to serve The Dark Lord," Sirius forced faux Regulus to say though it felt like bile in his own throat.

"You are lying!" a female death eater shrieked, this time a cutting curse was aimed at faux Regulus' face but Sirius was again quick enough to give instructions so as to avoid contact. Absentmindedly he thought, "Careful love, wouldn't want to ruin my beautiful face," which faux Regulus said in a charming version of Regulus' voice. The death eater Sirius had suspected to be Rosier gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head. Apparently that wasn't something Regulus would have said.

The female death eater gave some horrific version of giggling and approached the faux Regulus. She took off her mask as she neared him, revealing herself as Alecto Carrow.

"Well that brings back some memories, doesn't it?" she purred in what could have been a seductive manner, had it come from anyone else, "It was fifth year. I asked you to go into Hogsmeade with me. Do you remember what you said?"

It would have had to have been an unequivocal 'no'. There was no way his brother went out with a troll like Alecto Carrow and Sirius didn't hear about it.

Faux Regulus just shook his head as if he couldn't remember.

"You looked almost nervous actually. It was rather adorable. You said that 'I should not want to go out with you.' She was now caressing faux Regulus' shoulder lightly, in an affectionate sort of way. "I asked why not, for your blood was of the most pure and on top of that you are beautiful". Do you remember what you said?"

Faux Regulus again shook his head, how the hell was Sirius supposed to know the answer to that?

"You said it was the curse of the Blacks. That you were all beautiful but evil. You then took out Cassie Greengrass that weekend. It's a shame you can't go back and undo that mistake, Regulus Black. I might have shown you mercy today, had things been different," She then began a complicated pattern with her wand that sent a bright blue light directly at Regulus' chest.

Sirius fortunately managed to get faux Regulus to turn out of the way and avoid the spell. He had no idea how he would have made the inferius react as a result of that unknown spell.

Evan Rosier then spoke up, "I'll remind you, Alecto, our orders are to bring him back alive."

Another death eater spoke up, "Is that really want you want? To continue to live in his shadows? He has received nothing but special treatment his entire life. From the professors at school and now even from The Dark Lord himself."

Several other death eaters voiced their agreement.

"It is not for us to decide the ways of The Dark Lord," Rosier answered calmly.

After a few moments of arguing amongst themselves, Sirius had faux Regulus cut in,

"If your orders are to take me back to The Dark Lord, what are we waiting on?" Sirius desperately hoped he was right about what would happen.

One of the death eaters turned to him and remarked, "We find ourselves tired of the 'Little Prince,' and all of the ways for which he is pampered-"

Rosier again cut in, "It is not our decision. We have our orders!"

Alecto Carrow then stated, "Perhaps you do not recognize the situation we find ourselves in for what it is."

Another death eater added, "He tried to run for his life, we had no choice but to attack him. He is undoubtedly either a traitor or a coward. There is room for neither within our ranks."

"Go ahead, Black, make a break for it. We'll even give you a head start," one of the first death eaters leered.

Faux Regulus stood tall and responded firmly, "I am many things, but a coward is not among them. If you are so desperate for attention from The Dark Lord then go ahead and kill me. I'm sure that will effectively get his attention. If you are waiting for me to run it will not happen. I will not run from death."

Some of the death eaters seemed to recognize the implications in what he said. They would in fact be getting attention from Voldemort, if they killed Regulus. If Regulus really was a favorite as they seemed to think, then it would most assuredly not be a pleasant sort of attention.

The less sensible death eaters took over from there though and cast a slew of potentially fatal curses at faux Regulus at such a rate they would have been impossible to avoid. Eventually even the doubtful death eaters joined in with the exception of Rosier.

It went on for a while, viciously morbid spells were cast. It was beyond anything Sirius had ever seen before and it was beyond repulsive. Sirius ordered the inferius to lay in the floor and play dead long before it actually died, yet even then the curses still came. Fortunately a few of the curses sent at the inferius contained fire, which effectively burned what was left of the assumed to be Black heir. Nothing recognizable of the body remained. As if that were not enough, another death eater then cast a 'confringo,' which effectively dispersed and or destroyed the remnants the inferius' body, much to Sirius' satisfaction.

Evan Rosier had taken off his mask at some point to better watch the massacre. His face remained mostly neutral, though it was obvious he was disgusted by the scene.

Eventually he remarked, "I believe he is properly dead now. If you all are about finished, we need to report this."

One of the other death eaters seemed to pick up on the implications a bit faster than the others and said, "We all agreed to the story we would present-"

Rosier cut in, "I agreed to nothing. I reminded you of our orders and you still chose to ignore them. If Regulus really was one of The Dark Lord's favorites… I would not expect to be rewarded for your actions today. I can only hope that I am not dragged down by your senselessness and jealousy," with that Rosier walked back into Diagon Alley and promptly popped away. The other death eaters argued amongst themselves for a few more minutes before finally leaving the scene.

Once he was confident all of the death eaters had left the area, Sirius cast 'finite incantatem' towards the doorway that Regulus had placed his compulsion charm. He then went outside where he could apparate back to Grimmauld Place to give Kreacher a more accurate time of Regulus' death. He left the anti-apparition wards in place but knew they would fall shortly after his departure from the scene.

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><p>Regulus was in a nightmare-like state. He was not conscious, yet he was certainly in pain. It was perhaps more emotional or mental than physical, though physical pain was certainly there as well. While he could not see it, he knew his arm was bleeding, in a seemingly profuse manner, from the cut the goblin had made. As painful as that was, the Black heir was trying to focus on it, rather than the images that were flashing through his mind.<p>

Uncountable horrendous murder scenes and mangled bodies. Cold laughter. Regulus had no idea how much time had passed. He had blacked out entirely for some span of time, though he had no idea how long.

Unexpectedly the images shifted. Now it was pitch Black. Then, a cavernous room filled with junk. Then what could have been the secret room beneath the drawing room at Malfoy Manor. Another dark place, this time with gold glinting in the surrounding space. Then Evan and Alecto Carrow? He was looking at them as if speaking to them. The same images repeated in his mind again, but he was unable to make out the meaning of them in his drowsy state.

Suddenly the pain he had been experiencing seemed like a dull ache compared with what he now felt. It was as if the soul piece was now trying to break through the locket. Regulus heard a strange hissing noise but was too focused on his own pain to recognize it as Parseltongue.

He continued to writhe in agony on the floor and could vaguely hear the goblins talking animatedly in Gobbledegook. All the while the hissing continued. The Black heir suddenly felt an assault of emotions that were not his. He was furious. He cast a killing curse at a death eater at random. He was then delving into the mind of Evan Rosier.

Regulus vaguely realized this to be an effect caused by the horcrux's intrusion unto his dark mark. Given the hissing, that he was seeing things through Voldemort's eyes, and that the goblins had become very animate all of a sudden he put up his the strongest occlumency shields he could muster. This was most assuredly the first attempts of the horcrux to take possession of him.

As interested as he was in what had happened with the inferius, he would have to wait and get the story from Sirius later. He briefly hoped Evan would not receive the same fate as the murdered death eater, but then immediately tried to close off that feeling as well. It was most important now for him to remain as closed off as possible so as to prevent possession. Otherwise this would have all been for nothing. He had no doubt the goblins were discussing whether or not to kill him now in their own language.

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><p><strong>Please review if you have a chance just to let me know if you like it or hate it, or anything in between. <strong>

**Thanks so much for reading!**


	16. Regulus Black is Dead

I do not own Harry Potter

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><p>Regulus had searched the Black family library for any means he could find that would allow him to fend off the horcrux's attempts at possessing him. None of the books he found dealt with horcruxes, as they were such an obscure creation. The dismal amount of information he did locate on possession focused on evil spirits and were not particularly specific in what methods would work. It was the first time the Black heir had ever been disappointed in his family's library.<p>

As he was continuously assaulted with emotions that did not belong to him, he couldn't help but think this was a very inopportune time for the library to have failed him. He had long since lost any idea of how much time had passed. He could feel his resolve slipping to fight off the intrusion of the horcrux.

After attempting the methods he had read about with varied levels of difficulty, his mind was beginning to grow hazy on what he was supposed to be doing anymore. At that time he had only enough presence of mind to bring forth whatever opposing feeling he could to counteract the feeling he was struck with.

When he felt a particularly strong sense of hate, he attempted to bring forth feelings of love. He thought of Rachel. How in their time together, she had managed to break through his shell and begin to show him what love actually meant. There had certainly been very little of it in his household growing up. He would then think of Narcissa who unfailingly made the effort to ensure he knew that she cared about him anytime she could. Or of how Evan was unquestioningly always on his side and willing to help him when needed. Or even Kreacher, who despite being a house elf had always been more of a friend than a 'servant'.

When he felt a strong desire for revenge, he thought of Sirius. Despite the differences they had in the past, he was willing to go to any length to help him now. He thought of Rachel and how she had managed to forgive him for his many shortcomings. Instead of being resentful towards him she was loyal. She made him want to be better, so as to actually deserve her loyalty.

When he felt particularly weak he thought of Narcissa and the quiet strength she possessed. And of Sirius who, never backed down from what he believed to be right, despite the consequences.

Finally, blessedly the attack began to lessen. The hissing that had been constantly present for what seemed like hours, stopped. The goblins were now speaking to each other more calmly. He was relieved that it did not seem as if he was going to be slaughtered anymore, at least not by the goblins. He briefly hoped the mark had been successfully altered in a way that would allow Voldemort to believe him dead.

He assumed there must have been some degree of success because the goblins not only didn't kill him, but were also not throwing him out in the streets to fend for himself. He did not have time to think of anything else before drifting into the first restful sleep he had had in weeks.

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><p>Evan Rosier was angry. Perhaps that didn't quite cover it. Angry was not a strong enough emotion for what he was. Fortunately for Sirius Black, he was Evan Rosier. He prided himself on being an emotionless bastard, who maintained the upmost self-control at all times. If he were anyone else, especially any other death eater, Sirius Black would be dead.<p>

What was the point of all of that planning if he was going to throw it all away like that? There was no way Regulus knew about it. He never deviated from a well thought out plan if not absolutely necessary. Sirius on the other hand… he was nothing if not rash. And overly proud. The deviation had to have been instigated by Sirius alone.

Fortunately the supposed unwarranted slaughter of his best friend gave him reason to appear a bit more perturbed than usual without raising suspicion. Also fortunate was that he had learned from his two years as a death eater where not stand when The Dark Lord was receiving potentially unpleasant news. A new recruit was not so lucky.

According to Rookwood, the death eater who received the brunt of The Dark Lord's anger was a former Hufflepuff that graduated in his year. Perhaps this was why everyone believed only Slytherin's vindictive enough to join the death eaters, he mused. The students from other houses lacked enough self-preservation to live long enough for their true allegiance to become known.

After willingly offering his memories of Regulus' death to The Dark Lord and subtly hinting of his disappointment with the other's lack of self-control, he stood back and allowed the other participants to make their excuses. Fortunately for them, there were enough involved that they could not all be murdered without noticeably dwindling the death eaters as a whole. That was more due to the ruthlessness of those involved than the actual number of participants.

The partakers of Regulus' murder were shepherded into the basement of Lestrange Manor, and left to the care of Rodolphus Lestrange. Evan was grateful for his reprieve, allowing his anger towards Sirius Black to lessen slightly. He couldn't care less about any of the death eaters that were involved. Even less now than before Regulus' 'murder,' a feat he would not have thought possible before. How they were punished meant nothing to him.

If anything they were getting off a bit easily. After a hearty cruciatus curse for each of them from their master, Rodolphus Lestrange would be overseeing the rest of their punishment. They were incredibly lucky it was not Bellatrix that was tending to them. Bellatrix was far from loving towards anyone apart from The Dark Lord himself, but she did hold some affection for Regulus and Narcissa, if no one else.

Evan was just as much Bellatrix's cousin as Regulus was, through her mother. Yet whatever quality Regulus held that induced fondness from Bellatrix, he clearly lacked. Nor did he possess any of the gentleness that attracted Narcissa to Regulus. Not that Evan minded, Regulus had always been far more feeling than Evan, and even more so than he likely let on. Regulus also held more value for his family (who for the most part didn't deserve it) than power. It was part of why he never should have joined the death eaters in the first place.

Bellatrix had just returned home after receiving a summons from The Dark Lord. It did not take long for her to be quickly filled in on what had happened, and she was now clearly livid. The fact the she was angrier over the loss of her favorite cousin rather than sad was unsurprising. The woman had always been driven by rage more than any other emotion.

The Dark Lord, had already informed him that he was to accompany him, along with Bellatrix to the scene of the crime. Apparently Reg's dark mark was still traceable, which should not happen given the brutishness he had endured. Unable to come up with a reason to stall the expedition without being punished, Evan held the door open for his companions. The trio walked in relative silence to the iron gates outside Lestrange Manor, before apparating to the crime scene.

Apparently in their anxiety, the other death eaters forgot to leave the dark mark above the building, which had slightly pacified their master. They would at least be able to search the area without the presence of the aurors, for the time being.

Evan led the group to where faux Regulus had last stood. All that remained there were ashes. He and Bellatrix then began to search the scene for any other sign of the Black heir's body, as the Dark Lord held court at the front of the room.

Evan was relieved that Sirius had thought to remove Regulus' compulsion charm on the entrance. While no one he had brought with him to 'hunt' Regulus had known him well enough to recognize his magical signature, he knew both Bellatrix and Voldemort could easily recognize it had they been remotely suspicious of the circumstances. Even more lucky, was that neither seemed to think anything amiss with the situation.

After continuing to search without any success, The Dark Lord called them back together. In an expressionless tone he stated,

"The mark is no longer traceable. Regulus Black is dead. Bella, I think it most appropriate for you to go and help Rodolphus punish my insolent followers."

"I will be happy to do that. Thank you my Lord," she replied with a malicious glint in her eyes. She then bowed reverently before quickly apparating away.

Once she had left he turned to Evan,

"Rosier, do you think there is anything you could have done to prevent today's events?"

"Perhaps, Milord. At the time I did all I could think of. Looking back, I perhaps should have attempted to disarm them before things got too out of hand," he replied in a passably remorseful voice.

"That is a thought. However I think it likely that you would have received a similar fate as dear Regulus had you tried to intercede more forcefully. You were severely outnumbered."

Evan bowed his head and continued to look abashed, much like a young child probably would have done. He knew better than to speak unless asked a direct question, which he had not yet been asked. After a pause the Dark Lord added,

"I think it is time we bring the elder Rosier back to our number. Would you care to assist me with his discharge?"

"I would be honored, Milord."

"I thought you might. We shall proceed now, if you have no objections."

"Of course, Milord. I've no plans that cannot be rescheduled."

"Very well, in that case I shall ask that you find Augustus Rookwood. Inform him that he is to command Madam Livingston to file the paperwork that will release your father first thing tomorrow morning. You are dismissed."

"Thank you Milord," he bowed before apparating away.

He appeared again outside the Rookwood estate. As he began walking up the path towards Rookwood's house, Evan felt immensely relieved. Regulus must have successfully altered the traceability of his dark mark. He now could only hope that he had enough to sense to leave the country.

He then remembered that Regulus had told him a conversation he overheard between Lucius and Bellatrix several months ago. According to them, The Dark Lord had the primary official of Azkaban already under the imperius curse. That had been months ago. If that were true, and it likely was, his father could easily have been released long before now. It did not sit particularly well with him that the order was just now being given for his release, but he wasn't really surprised. More importantly, there was nothing he could do about it. At least not yet.

**I decided to do a section from Evan's POV since Sirius wasn't doing anything exciting this chapter.**

**Please let me know if you like or hate story, or anything in between. It's hard to know what you think if you don't tell me! =)**

**Thanks for reading!**


	17. A New Beginning and a Funeral

**I don't own Harry Potter...**

Regulus woke up in a comfortable bed feeling better rested than he had in weeks. It took him a moment of looking around before he remembered where he was. He vaguely recognized his location as the room below Gringotts where his 'procedure' had taken place. He had not been in any condition to really take in the room the last time he had been conscious.

Upon remembering the purpose of his current location, he quickly looked to his left forearm. It was wrapped tightly in bandages and felt unnaturally heavy. He feebly attempted to unwrap it so as to examine the mark, but quickly gave up after finding he was too weak to do so. He was surprised and even more impressed to find that Slytherin's locket was sitting on the bedside table to his left. He had expected the goblins would have already confiscated it by now.

He briefly worried his weakness was a side effect from his 'procedure,' but decided it would unlikely affect his entire body if that were the case, hopefully. He felt it more likely he had either been given some type of potion to relax his body so as to expedite healing, or the goblin equivalent for the same effect.

He gingerly touched the skin on his left arm directly above where it was bandaged. The area felt very numb and he couldn't help to think it would have been nice if the goblins would have numbed his arm before the procedure. He did know that time had been of the essence then, and it likely wasn't an option. He wondered how long he had been asleep. Considering he was alone in the room, he guessed it had probably been at least a few hours.

He continued to look around the room, unable to do much else in his current state. He was now in search of a means to let someone know he was awake. He did not even attempt to get out of the bed. His body felt entirely too heavy. A few moments later he could faintly hear what sounded like a cart making its way down the track. A couple more minutes later and Ragnok appeared with Sirius, who was carrying a sack, that judging by appearance, likely contained food.

"Good morning, Mr. Black. I suspected you would awaken today," the goblin greeted.

"Awaken, today?" He asked dumbly.

Sirius laughed, "You've been out for nearly four days. You are awake just in time to go to your funeral if you want to go."

Regulus grimaced, "Definitely not," he answered as Sirius handed him the sack which he discovered to contain bagels. Regulus nodded his thanks but ignored his growling stomach for the moment in pursuit of information,

"How did things turn out?" he asked the goblin.

Ragnok gave his equivalent of a smirk, "I think you shall be most happy to learn that through an unforeseen circumstance, the dark mark helped destroy the horcrux and vice versa."

The goblin then waved his arm and immediately Regulus' lethargic state lifted. "Thanks," he said as he sat up in bed, grateful to be in a less compromising position, "Destroyed to what degree? What was the unforeseen circumstance?"

"The horcrux was inaccessible without the use of parseltongue to open the locket. The dark mark reluctantly provided the necessary parseltongue, though it required quite a lot of…encouragement for that to happen. Once the locket was opened, it effectively drained the dark mark of its powers. At that point it became more of a question of whether you or the horcrux would survive, as it was unlikely you both could. Or rather that the horcrux would allow you to, unless it was destroyed. Fortunately you were able to fend off the intrusion before it was able to get a strong hold. Eventually you managed to expel the horcrux entirely, at which point we were able to destroy it."

Regulus just shook his head. Any other time he would have been fascinated by all of the details he was surely missing. Right now, his mind could only concentrate on the brevity of facts. Undoubtedly he would be questioning the goblin later, but for now he settled on,

"What exactly do you mean by the horcrux drained the dark mark of its powers? Is the dark mark still visible on my arm?"

"As you know, a horcrux is designed to take in that which makes it stronger. The power exuding from your dark mark was too much temptation for the horcrux to resist. That is why its attempts to possess you were so pronounced. After absorbing the powers fueled by the dark mark, the horcrux was much more powerful than we anticipated. As for the mark on your arm, it remains as of now," the goblin stated. He then swept his hand in the direction of Regulus' arm causing the bandages to fall away.

Regulus looked down to find the outline of the mark still present, though now it was an angry red instead of the black it once was.

Ragnok continued, "As your arm heals, it will continue to fade. Though I think it exceedingly optimistic to believe it will ever disappear entirely, dark magic almost always leaves traces. More importantly, the powers that the mark once possessed are no longer fruitful."

After a moment of silence as Regulus took in all he had been told, and was considering his options the goblin stated,

"I confess myself pleased by your continued existence. You are one of very few wizards I have encountered that possess any level of honor. Certainly first amongst the Blacks."

Sirius sputtered indignantly, "I'm sitting right here!"

"So you are," the goblin smirked.

"Thank you Ragnok, for all that you have done," Regulus interjected before Sirius could respond. The goblin's comment helped him to reach his decision. He vaguely thought the goblin possibly knew what he had been thinking about and only made his compliment because of it. He decided he really didn't care. A potential alliance with the goblins, would be far more useful than a hunk of metal, regardless of its historical value.

"I think it likely we shall respectfully agree to disagree on many things, Ragnok. However, if you have no objections, I would like for you to keep Slytherin's locket."

"You do not wish to keep it for yourself?" the goblin asked skeptically.

He shook his head, "The locket was only ever in my possession because I stole it. As Salazar Slytherin was the one who purchased this locket, the goblin belief is that it should have been returned to the goblins upon Salazar's death, correct?"

Ragnok nodded in response.

"Wizards would generally argue that the locket should be handed down through the generations of Salazar Slytherin's descendents. I confess I would normally be of that belief, which is a matter that you and I will likely have to respectfully agree to disagree on in the future. However in the case of Slytherin's locket, the only remaining descendent is Voldemort.

"It is in everyone's best interest for him to believe the locket is still in the cave, safely housing his horcrux. I would very much like for the goblin nation to have the locket. Though of course I hope that you will not inform any wizards of the goblin's possession of it. If it got back to Voldemort that his horcrux has been destroyed, all of our efforts will have been for nothing."

"I agree to those terms. The goblins have no need to brag to wizards of their possessions, they shall never know," the goblin grinned greedily, before reaching out to take the locket proffered from Regulus.

He then quickly excused himself. Sirius was looking at Regulus quizzically, but Regulus was too interested in learning what happened to care,

"What about my murder?"

Sirius then adopted a look of smugness as he responded, "I deviated from the plan a little bit," Upon seeing Regulus' expression he quickly added, "It turned out brilliantly. There is nothing to worry about."

"Deviated how, and why?"

"Like I said, there's nothing to worry about. I just made you out to be a bit less cowardly, that's all."

"Why?"

"Because for the first time ever, you are actually trying to do the right thing. You shouldn't be known as a coward because of it."

Regulus withheld an exasperated sigh, "What did you do?"

"Between the compulsion charm you used and the fact that you apparently weren't very popular in that group to begin with, it was easy," Sirius grinned, "The death eaters ensured your body was mutilated well enough. And before you ask, there is no way Rosier can be held accountable."

Regulus felt his heart drop into his stomach, "There is always a way someone can be held accountable even when they aren't responsible."

"Well he did everything he could to try and stop your sadistic buddies. I can't imagine that he would get into trouble over anything. I do have one question though."

Regulus was annoyed that Sirius jeopardized Evan's position but recognized there was little he could do about it now, especially as it was now several days after the fact. Grudgingly he asked,

"What's that?"

"What is the curse of the Blacks?"

"What are you talking about?" Regulus asked, bewildered.

Sirius burst out laughing, "we are all beautiful, but evil?"

Regulus shuddered, "That's… not exactly what I said."

"Oh really? Do tell. What does one say when asked out by the beauty, Alecto Carrow?"

"I take it she enjoyed torturing me?"

"I think it's safe to say they all enjoyed themselves thoroughly. Well until Rosier pointed out that they disobeyed orders and he wasn't covering for their arses."

"I really wish you would have stuck with the plan. I mean why make a plan if not to follow."

"Relax Reg, everything went better than anticipated. The mark is no longer traceable. The horcrux is destroyed. And best of all, mother and father will be ever so proud to be able to claim their son was wrongfully murdered while bravely fighting for the rights of purebloods. Because you know, purebloods of all people are incredibly discriminated against," the elder Black rolled his eyes.

Regulus ignored his taunt, knowing Sirius was likely trying to figure out just how 'reformed' he was now that he was somewhat free from the death eaters. Instead he asked,

"What time do you have to leave for the funeral?"

"In about an hour or so. I could skip it-"

"No, you should go," _'It would mean a lot to our parents_,' he finished to himself. To Sirius he added,

"You can help me come up with my new look since you have time."

"Alright, what is your new alias, maybe it will prove inspirational."

Regulus fought back a laugh, he never actually thought he would use his alter ego for any significant amount of time when he created it, "Regenfrithu Marcus Atilius," he announced.

"Um, what?"

"Regenfrithu Marcus Atilius," he repeated again slowly.

Sirius looked at him blankly for a moment, shook his head once, then asked "…why?"

"It allows me to go by Reg with the excuse my mother gave me a horrendous first name. Though in public it might be better if I went by Marcus for the same reason. It would sound less suspicious, than Reg, especially if I were seen with you of all people."

"Alright, but why Regenfrithu and not Reginald? Or even Regis would be better."

Regulus fought off the flush that was trying to make its way onto his cheeks and forced himself to instead adopt a dignified façade, "Aside from the reason I just told you, Regenfrithu means 'Peaceful Raven.' When I created the name I never really expected to use it. But if I did, I thought it likely that I would be ditching any slytherin persona I had. Why not choose a name that supported the transformation."

"And Marcus and Atilius?"

"It just has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?" he answered elusively. He had discovered that Marcus Atilius Regulus had been a Roman general around 2000 years ago. He was confident he was the only pureblood that could ever make the connection, but he certainly wasn't going to educate his brother on of all things, muggle history.

"Atilius is not a pureblood name."

Regulus sighed, and replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "Most ancient families ensure their children study the other pureblood family lines. It would draw a lot of unnecessary attention if I portrayed myself as a pureblood."

Sirius was now grinning like a loon for some reason, though Regulus had no idea why,

"We'll have to give you lessons to make you less proper," he announced.

"Absolutely not. No longer being recognized as a pureblood is no excuse to behave like a swine."

Sirius rolled his eyes, "Well, just the basics, like standing a little less straight-"

"There's nothing wrong with good posture-"

"And walking a bit less arrogantly-"

"You're one to talk-"

"And showing a bit of emotion in your expression."

"Now you're just taking it too far," Regulus remarked, while keeping his blank expression stubbornly in place.

Sirius let out a bark of laughter. Regulus could not remember the last time his brother had laughed good naturedly in his presence. While they had been at Hogwarts together it had only ever occurred if the marauders pulled off a prank that Regulus happened to get caught up in.

If Sirius realized Regulus was nearby at any other time he would either stop laughing immediately in favor of pointedly ignoring him, or else stare him down as if he were resentful of his existence. Apparently he was watching Sirius a bit too closely now for he stopped laughing and asked,

"What?"

"You're supposed to be helping me with my look."

"Oh, right." He then smirked, "It's a shame really. You finally begin to look _almost_ as handsome as me, only to have to give it up so quickly."

"Don't flatter yourself. You look exactly like father and he's nearly sixty."

Sirius flicked his wand, and Regulus' hair turned a disgustingly bright shade of red. "I think we could pass you off as a Weasley. None of their family care enough about blood purity to keep up with all of their relatives. You would fit right in, and could even remain a pureblood to boot."

Regulus was unsure whether Sirius was intending for that to be a jab or a compliment towards the Weasley family. He also didn't care. There was no way the fact that the younger Black despised red, could have possibly slipped the elder's mind. It had been well known in their youth. He transfigured Sirius' hair into a grotesque shade of green, by way of response.

That effectively began a transfiguration war between the brothers.

Eventually they returned to the task of adjusting Regulus' appearance to develop his new look.

He now had a medium shade of brown hair, and blue eyes. Much to the younger Black's dismay, Sirius told him he needed to change the length of his hair.

A couple of years ago Regulus had found the perfect length to allow its natural wave to fall in an effortlessly elegant manner at all times. He was quite unenthusiastic about changing it, but finally agreed. He chose to shorten his hair instead of lengthening it, as most wizards with longer hair were either much older than him or purebloods. They also made his hair a bit straighter for good measure. After changing his hair, they softened his more distinguishing features, and finished up by altering his nose to a shorter, slightly wider shape.

While his new look was adequate, Sirius had actually been right in his statement earlier. Regulus had been much more attractive with his natural looks. Not that he would ever admit that it bothered him, least of all to Sirius. More important was that it was necessary. His new appearance would blend into a crowd much more easily than the characteristic Black features that he used to be able to wear proudly.

Shortly after Regulus' look was established the brothers bid each other goodbye. Regulus had matters to discuss with the goblins, and Sirius had a dead brother's funeral to attend.

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><p>Sirius apparated to the place where he had arranged to meet with James so as to attend the funeral together. Sirius had told James not to worry about going with him. After all, it was no secret that James despised the younger Black, but James insisted. He wanted to provide moral support to his best friend, he had said.<p>

Lily had also offered to attend, but as she was a muggleborn and pregnant, James talked her out of it. The majority of attendees were sure to be death eater sympathizers at best.

The marauders had all agreed to meet up after the funeral, so as to allow Sirius to 'drown his sorrows'. Sirius suspected that his friends secretly thought his brother's death was a good thing. For all any of them knew, the Black brothers had not spoken in years and hated each other. To them, his death likely meant nothing more than one less death eater out there murdering innocent people.

Sirius wasn't entirely sure he could stomach going out with his friends. He hated lying to them and desperately wanted to let them in on the secret of Regulus' change of allegiance and subsequent survival. He knew he could trust them with the information, if no one else. He just needed to wait until he could talk Regulus into it first. It would likely take him a while to warm up to the idea, he had always been a secretive person.

Sirius however was not, at least not when it came to his friends. The only time he had ever lied to them had been when they used to ask about his home life. He would skip over the worst parts and tell only half-truths, but it had usually been more out of shame than anything else.

Andromeda and his uncle Alphard had been his only relatives he could tolerate in recent years. While they were decent people (or had been in Alphard's case), he had never felt any particular amount of privilege in being related to them. They simply weren't as bad as the rest of the family.

In fact, he had not felt pride in anything to do with the Black family since he was around twelve years old, until now. It was killing him not to tell anyone of Regulus' change in allegiance and intent to do whatever he could to bring down Voldemort.

He vowed to himself he would tell them soon, even if Regulus did not approve, because they were his friends and had never let him down yet. They deserved to know. And besides, Regulus had still gone to Evan for help, even after Sirius voiced his disapproval. It was only fair that Sirius could do the same.

* * *

><p>Sirius had his doubts that half the people in attendance of Regulus' funeral gave a damn about his brother. Nearly everyone present was, if not a death eater, than certainly a sympathizer. As with anything in pureblood society, it was being treated as little more than a political engagement, and any family worth their salt was expected to be in attendance.<p>

The Carrow family was there along with several other people Sirius suspected to have been involved in Regulus' fake murder. Sirius would have been furious of this fact, had he not known the funeral to be a sham. Even knowing Regulus was alive, their presence did not sit particularly well with him.

Sirius suspected Evan Rosier had similar sentiments about the ludicrousness of the gathering. He was not sitting with any known death eaters, but instead was with the Greengrass siblings, Cyrus and Cassie, who had actually been friends with Regulus in school.

James and Sirius sat in the back, behind all of the other guests and attempted to draw as little attention to themselves as possible. The immediate family had reserved seating in the front, but Sirius had no desire to be associated with anyone up there.

Andromeda was not present and he felt every other member of his family played a role in what would have been Regulus' demise. He truly would have died had Sirius not saved him from the cave. He also had no doubt now that Regulus would have preferred death to continuing life as a death eater. Why else would he have drank the potion and ordered Kreacher to leave him?

The Regulus that joined the death eaters was a product of his family's creation. They deserved the responsibility of his 'death,' Regulus was already paying more than his share of the price for their ignorance and bigotry.

Sirius did not even spare a look for his parents. He was unsure whether he would be angrier if they looked saddened by their loss or if they maintained their expressionless façade. He was uncertain whether he could stomach either. He had no doubt they would be far more distressed over their loss of a 'suitable' heir than their loss of a son.

Narcissa he did notice. Her face remained expressionless as always, though silent tears glistened on her cheeks. They were hard to miss, if only because her showing any sort of emotion was relatively unheard of. She was the only relative he expected to genuinely grieve over Regulus' death.

After the ceremony Sirius had intended to leave before any of his family noticed his presence. Unexpectedly, and with an agility he had not thought possible his father, Orion Black, had him cornered.

"I'm glad you could make it, Sirius."

"I'm not here for you."

"I've no doubt that is the truth. Regulus' is likely the only family member's funeral you would make an appearance at. I can't say I blame you."

"It's your fault he's dead. All of yours. You know that, right? Do you even care that he's gone?" Sirius demanded.

Orion's face contorted into an expression that could only be pain, "Do not presume I did not care for my son, Sirius," he stated with such a finality that not even Sirius would question it. He nodded once in response.

Orion continued, "Your mother wanted me to speak with you. As Regulus is… gone, she wishes to disregard your being disinherited. She asked me to let you know."

"Wonderful."

"I realize now is not the most appropriate time for this conversation, however I did not think you would meet me at a later date if I asked."

"You're right, I wouldn't. I'm sorry for your loss," he stated before turning away and leaving, James quickly on his heels.

Once they were a safe distance away from the rest of the guests they apparated away to meet the other marauders. Perhaps drinks with his friends was exactly what he needed after all.

* * *

><p><strong>All feedback is appreciated. Thank you so much for reading!<strong>


	18. Repercussions

**I do not own Harry Potter...**

Regulus was sitting in Ragnok's office getting all of the details from his procedure that had been excluded earlier. The pair had already made all of the final touches to ensure his new identity was believable. As he and the goblin were talking, he kept catching sight of himself in the reflection of the window. It was going to take him a while to get used to his new look.

He may not be a death eater any longer, but he was still unable to shed his mask. He could not afford to be recognized now any more that he could have as a death eater. He would forever be hiding who he truly was. Though if he were honest, he wasn't entirely sure if he even knew who that was anymore.

Anything that he had ever used to identify himself with had been stripped away from him. He was no longer the heir to the wealthiest family in Britain. He couldn't be thought of as a Black anymore, he wouldn't even be believed a pureblood. He had no friends that he could talk to. They all believed him to be dead except Evan, who would be killed if anyone found out he had assisted a traitor.

Regulus had often felt lonely when he was younger, especially at Grimmauld Place after Sirius was gone. Back then he had Kreacher and the knowledge that he would see his friends again once classes resumed. He did not have that luxury now. He had never before felt so isolated.

If there was a silver lining, he did at least have his brother on his side now. While Regulus was grateful to him for all of his help lately, Sirius had his own life to live. He had his own friends and responsibilities. He had also already done more than enough to help him, and it would be unfair of Regulus to pull him away from his life any more than he already had.

Regulus' only purpose now was to hunt horcruxes. As powerful and intelligent as Regulus knew himself to be, he had his doubts that he was the one meant to kill Voldemort. There was a reason he had idolized The Dark Lord when he was younger. He was disputably the most powerful wizard of this century. He was also willing to go to any length to survive, whereas Regulus had his limits.

For instance, he would never split his soul, regardless of the benefit. He also did not particularly want to murder anyone apart from maybe Voldemort himself. Some of the bastard's most loyal servants were Regulus' own family members, after all.

While he had no doubt Bellatrix or Lucius would have no qualms about killing him should they find out he is a traitor, he could not pay them back in kind. Bellatrix because she is family. Lucius because Narcissa would never forgive him.

Regulus knew it was unlikely that he would survive until the end of the war. Still, he was willing to do all he could to pave the way for the one that would prove to be Voldemort's match. Perhaps it would be Dumbledore. He is allegedly the only wizard the dark lord fears, so it would be the most fitting.

Regulus supposed he should meet with the old coot again. It did not make sense for them not to collaborate at least to some degree since they shared one common goal: to rid the world of Voldemort's influence. Dumbledore had disapproved of Regulus' decision to not become a spy for The Order, and it would be unwise to alienate the headmaster further. His influence and knowledge was bound to be useful at some point.

Unfortunately, Regulus had no plans to join The Order of the Phoenix. A fact that Dumbledore would likely be disgruntled over as well.

While Regulus would battle with the death eaters when he had to, and he had no doubt that he would have to if he lived long enough, he hoped to postpone the interaction as long as he could. Mainly he wanted to get a head start on finding the horcruxes while he was still under the radar of the death eaters.

Another issue was the fact that he was not accustomed to dueling with 'Order approved spells'. It would take the whole of one battle with death eaters before his skill and spell choice was bound to catch someone's notice. While he did not intend to draw attention to himself, instinct was bound to take over at some point.

He had no intention of countering killing curses with jelly leg jinxes as some of the Order members were known for. Even if he managed not to use any dark spells, he was sure to draw some attention simply by being a new member of The Order. All members of The Order were well known to the death eaters, they did have their spy, after all. Lately members of The Order were being tracked and picked off one by one by the death eaters.

As Regulus left the office, a goblin that he was not well acquainted with, approached him in the hallway. He stated that someone had a left a letter for him a few days ago and that he had been holding it for him. The letter was unmarked.

Regulus took the letter and thanked the goblin before continuing on his way. Upon exiting Gringotts, he apparated to a secluded area in muggle London. After checking to ensure there weren't any jinxes or otherwise harmful content in the letter, he opened it. He recognized the handwriting as Evan's, though it was not addressed or signed. Instead it was short and somewhat coded,

'_Father has returned home from his holiday. It was such a new experience for him I suspect he may be forever changed. I have decided to join him for the time being, so as to help him re-adjust and catch up. _

_Should you need a place to stay when you return from your holiday, my former residence will be vacant until the lease ends in July. _

_P.S. If you bring the mutt, please ensure he is at least potty trained first. I know how he enjoys pissing on things, but I am hoping to get my deposit back on the apartment. His inability to control himself nearly lost me my good credit the last time he visited.'_

Regulus snickered at the reference to Sirius. Evan had once commented on the similarities between Sirius and dogs. Which was made even funnier because as far as Regulus knew, Evan did not know Sirius was an animagus, or that he took the form of a dog when he transformed.

It sounded as if things had turned out as well as they could have for Evan. Having his father released was an added bonus. Regulus vaguely wondered what had triggered Voldemort's sudden desire to release the elder Rosier, but didn't much care. No one deserved Azkaban as far as he was concerned.

He did not envy Sirius if he met Evan in battle anytime soon. It did not sound as if the latter appreciated the change of plans any more than Regulus would have expected him to. On the few occasions the two had dueled, they had been well matched, and that was with Evan refraining from using any excessively dark spells. He had done that for Regulus' mixed feelings for his brother, and certainly not because he held any regard for the older Black. Regulus thought it likely Evan might not exhibit his usual level of self-control if the two faced each other in battle again anytime soon.

Regulus considered his options. He had been planning to move into Uncle Alphard's old house. However as no one had been in there for years the protections on the house were unknown. He would also have to be careful not to draw attention to himself there. The neighbors had long been accustomed to the house being empty. A sudden habitant would likely not go amiss.

Living in the middle of London would have its benefits. He could blend in with the muggles relatively well by now and could easily access Diagon Alley. While the protections there were not nearly as strong as an ancestral home would have, they were well designed and would be adequate for the time being. The apartment had also been leased under a name apart from Evan's. As no one else knew Evan had lived there, the likelihood of him being connected to Regulus/Marcus was highly unlikely.

He remained undecided on where he would stay permanently, but for the time would go to Evan's. He would not have to deal with unknown protections there like he would at his uncle Alphard's. He was anxiously awaiting the opportunity to review the visions he had seen while he was unconscious, after all.

He hadn't had much of a chance to think about what they could mean as of yet, and did not want to think about them until he was someplace private and could concentrate properly. Perhaps he was a bit paranoid, but he did not want to spare his concentration now while vulnerably walking in muggle London. He set off then in the direction of Evan's old apartment.

* * *

><p>The marauders were sitting in their third bar of the evening. The first two they had left due to the fact that nearly every person there was staring at Sirius and obviously gossiping about Regulus' recent death. Apparently there were a great deal of rumors about what had actually caused it.<p>

None of the death eaters were telling anything definitive, as that would require them to admit they were death eaters. The well-known death eaters, such as Bellatrix had no reason to divulge the truth to the general public, or what they believed to be true at any rate.

In the time the marauders had been out they had overheard several theories. The most popular seemed to be that either Regulus had thought himself to be a bit more important than he was and had been ordered to be put down for it, or he got in too deep and wanted to leave, which led to 'you know who' ordering for his murder.

Sirius was highly annoyed by the speculation but had managed to arrange his face in a manner to appear mostly calm, if only because he knew his brother to still be alive. He wasn't concerned enough to keep his annoyance from showing entirely though while he was being provoked as he was. It seemed some people believed he knew the truth and thought if they goaded him enough he would tell it. He was careful not to become overly drunk so as to give away too much at any rate.

He was just about to call an end to the miserable night when he was approached by a former Ravenclaw, Terrence Boot. He had graduated in the same year as Regulus.

"Hi Sirius, I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for your loss. I can't imagine what you must be going through and it's only made worse by people gossiping about it. I always thought Regulus had a much worse reputation than he deserved."

Terrence spoke only loud enough to be heard by the marauders over the general noise and music in the bar. Unfortunately the song that was playing ended just as he stated the last part, which drew the attention of several occupants of the bar. An older, former Hufflepuff from a nearby table all but shouted,

"Obviously he did deserve the reputation though, right? Otherwise he wouldn't have been a death eater."

"Who says he was even a death eater? For all any of us know, he was approached by the death eaters and murdered when he refused to join them," Terrence retorted, before even Sirius could comment.

"There is no way anyone could possibly believe that," the former hufflepuff answered skeptically. Though judging by the expressions on many of the eavesdropper's faces, a few might have been adding that to their list of theories. Sirius wasn't going to correct them.

"I would have never passed my Arithmancy NEWT with an Outstanding if Regulus hadn't tutored me. He never once mentioned blood purity and was never anything but nice to me. I'm a half blood. That doesn't exactly fit the normal description of a death eater, does it?"

"No one ever said the boy couldn't act. The death eaters must keep civil pretenses, less we would know who all of them are."

Unable to hold his tongue any longer, Sirius retorted, "Perhaps you are a death eater. You seem to know enough about them." He noticed several occupants were beginning to leave. Apparently throwing around accusations of being a death eater was offensive to some.

"I'm a half-blood. Of course I'm not."

"Then why are you so insistent that Regulus must have been one, when it's obvious you really have no idea?" Sirius managed to ask in a passably civil voice. He wouldn't mind a bit if Boot's theory was passed around, after all.

"He was a Black. Everyone knows they care only about purity of blood. The only people in that family who aren't death eaters get disowned. Congratulations to you on that Sirius," He then lifted his glass as if to toast Sirius before adding with a smirk, "Though I've heard you are going to be re-inherited now since your brother has snuffed it. I suppose it is only a matter of time before you will be joining the death eaters?"

"I am not a death eater, nor will I ever be," Sirius retorted angrily.

"Why not? According to Boot here, Regulus didn't seem the type either. He certainly turned out to be a piece of shit though, didn't he?"

In an instant Sirius lunged at the former Hufflepuff and was punching every inch of his face that he could reach. Sirius felt the attempts being made to pull him away, but ignored them. Finally, with the effort of the other three marauders, Sirius released his bloodied victim. The barman quickly came over to them and asked them all to leave in a manner that left no room for arguing.

Terrence Boot looked a bit muddled as to whether or not he was being kicked out of the bar or not. He tentatively made his way back over to friends and sat down, as the former Hufflepuff and Sirius were led to separate exits.

Sirius caught Boot's eye and nodded. He was grateful there were some, albeit few that believed Regulus could have been decent. Sirius himself was surprised that Regulus would have helped the Ravenclaw. Perhaps his brother had grown up a lot in his last year at school? He didn't have time to think about it now though, as the other marauders had followed him outside and were now looking at him expectantly.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"What?" James demanded, "What? You just accused someone of being a death eater, and got us kicked out for fighting!"

"So? He started it. He was accusing Regulus of being one, what's the difference?"

"Well… he was, wasn't he?" James asked quietly.

"How should I know? If he was and wanted out though, he shouldn't be condemned by everyone else for it. He's been murdered, is that not bad enough?"

"Why are you defending him?"

"Well…he's dead. He can't exactly defend himself, can he?"

"You're acting really weird. Any other time you would have been joining in with the hufflepuff's slander, rather than trying to fight him."

Remus decided to cut in at that point, "James, he has just lost his brother. I think the situation has changed a bit. And the guy in the bar was clearly asking for trouble. I think it's best if we all just call it a night."

"You have not just lost your brother! I am far more your brother than Regulus ever was! You've said that yourself more times than I could count!"

Sirius shook his head, "Maybe that's the problem. Maybe if I had not written Regulus off when he was younger, he never would have gotten into this mess-"

"You can stop that line of thought right now. Regulus never deserved you as a brother. He is just like the rest of your family. He may not be here to defend himself, but he isn't here to be offended either. Why are you even defending him?

"Because… because he's exactly who I could have been." Sirius stopped and ran his hand through his hair trying to think of the best way to explain, "Do you want to know what the only difference between me and Regulus is?"

"Can I only choose one?"

Sirius ignored his comment and continued, "I'm older and went to Hogwarts first. I was sorted into Gryffindor. I met the three of you. That's it. Because I was not a Slytherin, my parents ensured Regulus was. The only influences Regulus ever had in his life was my family with their extremist attitudes on pureblood supremacy and his fellow Slytherins who were brought up in similar households. Had he been older than me and did not know the backlash of being sorted into a different house, I've no doubt he would have been a Ravenclaw, and I would have been a Slytherin."

"You would have never have been a Slytherin, Padfoot. You are nothing like them," James replied in what he must have thought was a reassuring manner.

"Do you not remember what I was like when I first began Hogwarts? I acted like I was better than all of you. It took weeks of being pranked incessantly to even begin to loosen up."

"You were never as bad as Regulus-"

"You never knew him!" Sirius all but yelled. Then more calmly he added, "All you ever knew is what I told you about him. You thought the worst of him because of the things I said and simply because he was in Slytherin. I was so unbelievably judgmental towards everything he did while we were in school.

"I always guessed he was going to detention for murdering kittens or sneaking out to practice unforgivable curses, or some other ridiculous assumption when I saw him in the corridors. I never even considered he might be going to the library to study, or to quidditch practice, or to the kitchens to get something to eat. You want to know the real difference from me and Regulus? Because of my existence our family forced him into the darkness! His existence was my reprieve." Sirius added sadly.

With that he turned on the spot and disapparated leaving the other marauders gaping after him. Fortunately he had refrained from drinking too much, or he likely would have splinched himself.

**Thanks for reading! All feedback is appreciated.**


	19. Locations and Mad Eye

**I do not own Harry Potter**.

Regulus sat in the kitchen, feeling very much out of place in the apartment formerly inhabited by Evan. He had never been there without his friend before, and found it to be ornately boring in his absence. While Regulus had stayed in the spare bedroom of this apartment almost as often as he had stayed at Grimmauld Place since graduating, the place had always been Evan's. It felt empty without his presence.

Still, the place was quiet and safe, both of which were conducive for thinking and sleeping, if nothing else. Regulus found some eggs in the refrigerator and managed to cook them into an edible scramble and toasted some bread for his breakfast. When he had been younger he sometimes watched Kreacher cook when he was bored, which was fairly often. He knew enough to prevent starvation, though little else.

Regulus was now sitting at the table and resuming his speculation of the images he had seen during his experience at Gringotts.

Pitch black. A cavernous room with junk. Another dark place with what could have been gold glinting around it. None of that was particularly helpful. Regulus was fairly certain that Lucius Malfoy must have been asked to hide a horcrux. He could not think of any other reason the secret room beneath the drawing room of Malfoy Manor would have flashed in his mind amidst the other images otherwise.

Six pieces of Voldemort's soul. The locket has been destroyed, leaving five pieces. Voldemort would have to be the last portion destroyed or else he would use one of his horcruxes to come back. Even worse, if that happened, he would know Regulus had been hunting horcruxes and would either make more of them, or find some new means to obtain immortality.

He knew that Bellatrix had at some point been given Helga Hufflehuff's cup to keep for Voldemort. Assuming it was a horcrux and that she still had it, then the cup must be in one of the other three places he had seen. While Regulus had no doubt that Lestrange Manor had secret areas that he had not been shown in his visits there, he was confident Bella would not have a room of junk. She loathed anything that did not have a purpose.

Would Bellatrix have left something that valuable lying around when she was having a holiday party at her house? Regulus doubted it. Not unless she kept it in the room Voldemort was staying in. As he did not deem to grace them with his presence at the party, it would have been safe there.

Bella hated anything that did not have a purpose. That cup would not have a purpose, aside from its value, had it not been given to her by Voldemort to keep safe.

The Dark Lord had asked Bella. Not Rodolphus. She had been specific about that fact when she told Regulus about it. Bella did not trust Rodolphus, she barely tolerated him most of the time. Regulus knew their marriage had been arranged and was nothing if not loveless and at times violent.

Regulus also knew every Black to be prideful, Bella was no exception. If he added everything he knew about his cousin, her marriage, and her relationship with Voldemort together, he was fairly certain the cup was not being stored at Lestrange Manor. Nor did he think she would keep it anywhere that anyone a part from herself had access.

A vault at Gringotts would make sense. It would also explain the gold glinting in the background of one of his images. Assuredly it would be a vault that Rodolphus did not have access to.

Regulus knew Bella about as well as anyone did. His instincts were also usually pretty reliable causing him to think a vault was likely. However he also knew it was possible that he was jumping to conclusions.

Regulus wondered if he had built enough repertoire with the goblins to inquire about the cup. He rather doubted it. The goblins prided themselves on their discreetness and would never discuss the content of another's vault. He would have to be certain the cup was located there before he could even consider broaching the subject with them.

The cup may not have ever been a horcrux. It could have even been given to Bella for the sole purpose of creating a false trail. Or the cup could have been taken from Bella and given to Lucius and that was the horcrux they now kept.

Regulus did not know what had become of the cup, but he had his doubts that Voldemort would create a false trail. While Regulus would have been thorough enough to do so, he doubted Voldemort would have been. That would have required him to be humble enough to believe someone could not only find out about his horcruxes, but also attempt to destroy them. He was much too prideful to believe either of those things.

While Regulus suspected that Bella had a horcrux somewhere, he knew exactly where the one Lucius had was being stored. He even knew the enchantments that were guarding the room it was located in. Whatever horcrux was at Malfoy Manor was his for the taking if he could find a time when the manor was empty.

He did not know how easily the horcrux would stand out in a room filled with 'dark' objects. It would be helpful if he knew what the object Lucius had been given was.

It was almost a shame he had decided not to be a spy. Narcissa probably would have told him what they had been given if he would have asked her. Though Regulus was unsure if he could have thrown away her trust like that anyway.

They would be punished severely if the disappearance of the horcrux they had been given became known by Voldemort. Narcissa was not a death eater, and she was pregnant. He did not like to think what Voldemort might deem acceptable punishment to her in that state.

Sirius would have no qualms about going after the horcrux at the Malfoy's immediately. It was their only concrete lead, after all. While Regulus knew it was imperative that he remove it before someone else did, he couldn't quite bring himself to plot his breaking and entry.

The intrusion would likely not go unnoticed. Regulus did not want to draw attention to the fact that someone was stealing horcruxes anymore than he wanted Narcissa to suffer as a result of his actions.

Still if his goal was to hunt horcruxes he had to start somewhere. Given the choice between his cousins, Bellatrix was a death eater. She had signed up to serve the dark lord alongside her husband. While he felt sick at potentially leaving her to the mercies of Voldemort, at least she had joined the death eaters willingly.

Narcissa was only as involved as she had to be in support of her husband's obligations. As far as Regulus knew, she did not care about The Dark Lord. She did love Lucius. She was also cleverer than her husband.

If it ever looked as if the end of the war was in sight, Narcissa would do whatever it took to ensure her family was believed to be on the winning side when it was over. Whether it was the light side or the dark she wouldn't care, so long as her family was safe.

In the event the light side could win the war, Regulus thought it likely he could persuade Narcissa to just give him the horcrux, instead of having to steal it from her.

Unfortunately, her handing over the horcrux would require a nearly unsurmountable swing in the war. Any opposition to Voldemort right now was miniscule at best. Also unfortunate, was that he would first have to convince her to forgive him for allowing her to grieve his death, if it came to that.

As far as the other horcruxes, it was possible some of the other death eaters had been given one to hide. It seemed entirely too convenient for Voldemort to have used the Black family's house elf to hide one horcrux and then given a horcrux each, to the family of his cousins, to hide two of the others.

Surely some of his other loyal families were protecting horcruxes as well. Still, why would Voldemort have placed such a large amount of trust in the Black family? As paranoid as he was, it seemed like a huge oversight to Regulus.

He vaguely considered asking Evan if his father had been given one. Though judging by the amount of time the elder Rosier was left in Azkaban, it seemed unlikely Voldemort thought him to be as valuable as he once did.

It would also be exceedingly dangerous for both of them if Regulus attempted to contact Evan again, especially since he returned to the Rosier family home. Evan also had enough to occupy his time helping his father adjust from his stint in Azkaban, without worrying about helping Regulus any more than he already had.

He thought Sirius might be useful but did not want to already be going to his brother for help. He then thought of Dumbledore. The headmaster had known about the horcruxes for almost a week now, maybe he had come up with some ideas as to where they could be. He decided to pay him a visit.

* * *

><p>Sirius had spent the better part of the past half an hour trying to break through the protections at his Uncle Alphard's old house. He had taken muggle studies instead of ancient runes for the sole purpose of angering his parents. That decision was not serving him well at the moment.<p>

It looked as if Regulus had never even been here, but he had to have. He didn't have anywhere else to go. Unless… no, there was no way that after everything they had been through that Regulus would have been dumb enough to be captured so quickly. Not knowing where else to look he decided to ask Dumbledore.

There was an Order meeting at the castle scheduled for later anyway, the last before the students would be returning from their Christmas holiday. With that thought in mind the elder Black apparated into Hogsmeade.

As the older Black brother was just making his way towards the gargoyle outside the headmaster's office, he heard someone whisper,

"Sirius"

"Regulus?"

"Your brother died, you idiot," Regulus whispered exasperatedly.

Sirius rolled his eyes, as he went to stand in the shadows with his brother. It wasn't like there was anyone around to hear his slip of tongue,

"What are you doing here? I tried to find you at Uncle Alphard's. It looked as if you were never there. And why are you hiding?"

"I came to see Dumbledore but I overheard him talking with someone so I came back down here."

"Who is he talking to?"

"No idea,"

"Well we have an Order meeting soon. It's probably Edgar Bones. He likes to come early to talk to Dumbledore before everyone else gets there. Come on, I'll introduce you."

"No thanks, I didn't know there was an Order meeting today or I wouldn't have bothered waiting. I'll just come back another time."

"Regul-enfrithu," Sirius caught himself, "you have to meet the members of The Order sooner or later."

"I choose later. Maybe by then you will at least not stumble over my name," Regulus replied sardonically.

"Now, now, that tone is unfitting for a peaceful raven," Sirius smirked.

"Really? I thought you were better than that," Regulus replied flatly.

"I've only just started, little bird," Sirius laughed. He then stated the password to the gargoyle and all but dragged Regulus by the arm up the staircase. Upon reaching the door he knocked briefly and was surprised when the door was immediately wrenched open by Mad Eye Moody.

Apparently Regulus' disguise did not work with Moody's magical eye. The auror roughly pulled Regulus away from Sirius and slammed him into the wall just inside the headmaster's office. Regulus' raised his hands as if in surrender and placed them against the wall on each side of him, in plain sight.

The auror then pressed his wand to the back of Regulus' neck in what had to have been a painful manner and used his other arm to hold the youngest Black against the wall.

"Regulus Black. I could have sworn I heard a nasty rumor that you were dead. Murdered by your fellows, in fact."

"Just goes to show you can't believe everything you hear, I suppose," Regulus replied calmly.

Sirius looked to Dumbledore to find him looking at the scene in what could have been mild amusement. Sirius was certainly alarmed if no one else was. He all but shouted,

"Moody, he's not a death eater! You have to let him go!"

"Once a death eater always a death eater," the auror growled.

"Where's the proof I was ever a death eater to begin with?" Regulus asked in a passably innocent tone.

"You have a file in the auror office. I will have to check to see which crimes you have been tied to, but you have a file none the less."

"Unless the file is empty, it is inaccurate. I have never been linked to any death eater activities," Regulus refuted confidently.

"You claim not to have been linked to any of their activities. You did not say that you were never a death eater. I wonder why that is."

"I prefer to be subtle rather than state the obvious. I apologize if my wording was confusing. If you don't mind to ease up a little, I would appreciate it. This is becoming a bit uncomfortable," he replied from his position being held with his face to the wall and wand pointed directly at the back of his neck. Had he not complained of the discomfort he would have appeared entirely unaffected by his current predicament.

"Where is your wand?"

Regulus wiggled his right arm so as to draw attention to the holster it was currently stowed in. Sirius vaguely wondered if his brother still carried their grandfather Arcturus' old wand as a back-up but thought it best not to ask in the current situation.

Mad-Eye took Regulus' wand and directed him to a chair in front of Dumbledore's desk, all the while keeping his wand firmly pointed at Regulus. Sirius was normally annoyed by his brother's calmness, however in this situation he couldn't help but to admire it. Regulus seemed completely unperturbed as one of the most intimidating people Sirius had ever met continued to stare him down while pointing a wand in his face.

"Why did you fake your death?" Moody demanded.

"Who says I did? It must not have been a very reliable source."

Mad-Eye rephrased his question, "Why does everyone believe you are dead?"

"Rumors I suspect. Nothing flies faster than bad news," he answered nonchalantly.

"Your death could hardly be considered bad news," the auror remarked derisively.

Regulus smirked, "You seem to have an awfully poor impression of me. I can't help but feel it is undeserved. You and I have never actually met before, after all."

Mad-Eye attempted to return his smirk though it looked a bit grotesque with his mangled features,

"Your brother has told everyone in The Order that you are a death eater."

'Oops,' Sirius thought before interrupting the interrogation, "I never said that he was a death eater. Only that I suspected he could be."

Mad-Eye looked victorious for a moment, "Of all the people to suspect you of being a death eater, your own brother. I wonder why that is?"

"Sirius isn't exactly known for his intelligence," Regulus replied calmly, but Sirius caught his undertone.

The elder Black had somehow managed to forget that he had sold Regulus out to the entire Order at some point.

Dumbledore took that moment to finally interrupt the inquisition,

"Alastor, I do not believe Mr. Black to be a threat to us." Then turning to Regulus he asked, "What was the purpose of your visit this evening, Mr. Black?"

"I wished to discuss something with you, however I would prefer to do so in private. Sirius mentioned there is to be an Order meeting shortly. I can come back another time."

Mad-Eye answered before the headmaster could, "What is the purpose of the meeting being private?"

"To discuss a private matter, Mr. Moody," Regulus replied in an overly polite tone.

It appeared Regulus' sarcasm reached the end of the auror's nerves faster than his infuriating calmness had managed. Sirius had always been the opposite in that regard.

"If you will not answer my questions I will have you locked up in Azkaban. Perhaps after spending some time with the dementors you will talk!"

Regulus looked at him curiously, "Arrested on what grounds? I came here to speak with the headmaster in private. As he was unavailable to speak with in private, I offered to come back later. Why would you arrest me?"

"You are a death eater!"

"Where is the proof of that?"

Mad-Eye stood glaring daggers at the youngest Black as if considering how to proceed. Regulus apparently grew tired of waiting for a response and continued,

"I've never been linked to any death eater activities. As far as I know, the only reason you even suspect I am a death eater is because Sirius told you I might have been one in the past. He has since said only a few minutes ago that I am not a death eater. Professor Dumbledore told you I am not a threat. Why are you still holding a wand in my face?"

"Evan Rosier is a death eater."

Regulus raised an eyebrow as if surprised, "Is he?"

"Yes. That has been confirmed by the ministry. Our sources tell us you and Rosier are rarely seen without the other. That seems suspicious doesn't it?"

"Not really, these are dark times. So much so that I find myself unable to trust many people. It is true that I rarely go anywhere without Evan, but that is only because most of the death eaters are afraid of his father and what he might do should any of them approach his son."

"Are you implying that Evan Rosier is not a death eater?" Moody asked disbelievingly.

"He has never been linked to any death eater activity as far as I am aware."

Moody reached into his pocket in exasperation and pulled out a vial,

"You are one indirect answer away from being force fed veritaserum," he growled dangerously.

"It's illegal to force a pure-blood to drink veritaserum," Regulus countered.

"I should not have to force you. If you are so intent on being believed innocent, you should want to drink it."

"With all due respect, I disagree. No one with an ounce of dignity wants all of their secrets displayed for the world to see."

"I've had enough of this. Either you answer my questions or I am taking you to Azkaban where you will await trial for being a death eater."

Regulus continued to look completely unaffected,

"If that's what you want to do, I can't stop you. Though I confess myself surprised that you are so readily willing to lock up a potentially innocent man. You are generally regarded as being among the most reasonable of the aurors."

"For you, I think I'll take my chances," though he did hesitate in arresting him.

Upon seeing Regulus remain completely unconcerned with his predicament he asked,

"Do you want to go to Azkaban?"

"Well, not particularly, no."

"Why aren't you making any effort to convince me not to arrest you then or trying to flee at the least?"

"I could never convince you of my innocence once you believe me guilty, and I know better than to try and flee. Your reputation precedes you, Mr. Moody," Regulus stated, for the first time in the conversation his tone held sincerity.

"Isn't Azkaban every death eater's worst fear?"

Regulus laughed, "As I am not a death eater I couldn't say. However I have no intention of staying in Azkaban, so I am not particularly afraid of it."

Mad-Eye looked incredulous for a moment before asking, "No one has ever escaped Azkaban, yet you think yourself able? You are practically a child."

"Escape? Maybe. I confess I have studied the protections of the prison rather extensively."

"So have many before you, yet none of them have managed to escape."

"Perhaps not. Though I suspect the cleverest of criminals have never been to Azkaban. However if I am arrested it would be a result of my coming to speak with Professor Dumbledore. An act scarcely deserving of prison. I suspect you would feel guilty soon after sentencing me there and release me yourself if it came to it," Regulus replied smoothly.

Moody stared at the younger Black as if evaluating him. Finally he took a step back, though did not lower his wand as he growled, "When evidence surfaces that you are a death eater, I will skip Azkaban and go straight for the dementer's kiss."

"As I am not a death eater, that's fine with me. Though as far as I can tell, no one that is missing their soul notices its absence once it is gone," Regulus answered with a trace of a smile on his lips.

Sirius wondered if Regulus was thinking of Voldemort and his horcruxes rather than anyone who had received the dementer's kiss.

Dumbledore began speaking then, and Sirius was annoyed to find the headmaster still looked as if the previous interrogation amused him. Would he have even attempted to stop Moody from arresting Regulus?

"Now that we have settled young Regulus' fate, I think it prudent that we change the subject. The other Order members will be arriving soon."

"I'll see myself out," Regulus stated as he stood and quickly left the room.

Sirius noticed that Dumbledore looked as if he wanted to object, but Regulus was gone before he could comment. Sirius couldn't blame Regulus for his quick departure, it didn't look like it would take much for Moody to change his mind and arrest him.

Sirius then distractedly listened as Dumbledore addressed Moody in hushed tones, asking that he keep Regulus' existence secret. He wasn't doing much in the way of portraying that Regulus had never been a death eater, but at least he was asking the auror not to arrest him at any rate.

**As always, all feedback is appreciated. Thanks for reading!**


	20. Diagon Alley Part 1

I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

><p>Regulus quickly made his way down the staircase from the headmaster's office and into the corridor. When he looked to the staircase that led directly to the entrance hall, he saw Edgar Bones walking towards him and immediately turned in the opposite direction. He would have to make a roundabout route to the entrance hall if he wanted to avoid the other Order members coming in.<p>

Mad-Eye Moody recognizing him had been unexpected to say the least. Though given that he was allowed to walk away from it, he thought the timing was for the best. Had there been an audience the first time the auror saw Regulus, his cover would have been blown entirely.

Regulus was hopeful that Dumbledore and Sirius would convince Mad Eye not to divulge his survival to anyone else. From what he had gathered, his 'death' had done more to solidify the belief that he had been a death eater than anything else. At this point if his survival became known, he would undoubtedly be targeted from both sides.

His goal remained to keep his continued existence quiet, hunt horcruxes and then leave the country when the war ended. Being the traitor that he was, it was unlikely that he would ever be trusted by anyone if his survival ever became widely known.

As he had anticipated, Sirius was the heir to the family again. There would be nothing keeping him in Britain once the war was over. The only thing holding him here now was his desire to see Voldemort brought down.

While he had his doubts that his survival would remain a secret indefinitely, he hoped that he could at least 'prove himself' as being firmly against Voldemort before the secret got out. He already knew being hunted from one side was bad enough. He hated to think how much worse being targeted from both sides would be.

Regulus had successfully avoided everyone as he continued his indirect path to the entrance hall. As he rounded a corner, he realized he had subconsciously been walking towards the hospital wing. Just as he rounded the next corner he spotted a familiar brunette heading in his direction. Without thinking of the consequences he asked,

"Where are you going?"

Rachel looked up at him in surprise, "Do I know you?" she asked curiously.

"No, I don't think so," he replied self-consciously. What was he thinking?

It was none of his business where she was going, he knew that. He also knew he looked like an idiot for asking her when he supposedly didn't know her. Yet, he couldn't help it. As vacant as Hogwarts was right now, the only conceivable reason for her to be walking in the direction she was going was if she were going to the Order meeting.

After waiting a moment to see if he was going to say anything else, Rachel smiled politely and began walking in the direction of the headmaster's office.

"Wait, is that the way to the exit? If so, well I've been trying to find my way out of here and… this castle is a bit confusing," he stated with just enough hesitation to be both believable and make himself sound embarrassed for his poor sense of direction.

Regulus knew if he could stall her long enough she would not go to the meeting. She loathed being late to anything. She was also far too kind not to help someone in need. He was aware he was a terrible person for manipulating her.

If she wanted to join the Order he had no right to try and stop her. However, he had once been a death eater. Preventing her from making her allegiance known before the group's rodent problem was taken care of was far from the worst of his transgressions.

He could tell Rachel was debating whether it would be suitable to just give him directions and make it to the meeting on time, or if she should walk him to the exit and risk being late. Regulus thought he knew what she would choose. There was both a trick staircase and a vanishing staircase between them and the entrance hall, after all.

"You are right about the castle being confusing. I can show you to the entrance hall if you'd like, I think it might be safest," she replied sympathetically.

"Oh, I don't want to be any trouble," he lied.

"It's no trouble, this way is closest," she motioned for him to follow her, then began walking in the opposite direction of the way she had been going.

"Are you a student?" He asked, as it would be appropriate not to know anything about her.

"No I graduated last June. I am in an apprenticeship now to become a healer. I've been working in the hospital wing here some as well. What about you?" She asked as they walked.

"I graduated last year as well."

"Oh? From which school?"

"I was homeschooled, actually. These being dangerous times and all, my parents thought it safest."

"I've never met anyone who was homeschooled before," she began excitedly.

"It wasn't very exciting. The only company I ever had were tutors, and they weren't much for company. A part from lessons they didn't talk to me much," he replied not entirely untruthfully. He had had a lot of private tutoring when he had been younger, after all.

"I can see how that might be lonely. I've never had much reason to look into the curriculum of homeschooling. Which NEWTs did you take?" Rachel asked curiously.

"Charms, Defense, Herbology, History of Magic, Potions, Transfiguration, Arithmancy and Runes," he realized he had just listed his exact schedule while he had been a Hogwarts and added, "and Muggle studies."

"That's…quite the schedule. I took seven and it was hectic enough. You and I had the same classes, except I didn't take NEWT History or Muggle Studies. The most I've known of anyone taking at Hogwarts is 8," her expression immediately turned downcast. It was obvious she was thinking about him then. He had been the only one in their year to take 8 NEWT level courses.

He pretended not to notice her change in demeanor and began a steady stream of questions about classes at Hogwarts. He was purposely directing most of the conversation, so as to not have to reveal much about himself. He found he despised lying to her, and was at least trying to keep it to a minimum. Though it did little to make him feel any better about the situation.

After a pause in the conversation she asked, "So what brought you to Hogwarts this evening?"

"I came to speak with Headmaster Dumbledore," he answered honestly.

She continued to look at him expectantly so he added, "I had to leave before The Order meeting began though, seeing as I am not a member."

That surprised her, though she hid it well. She asked,

"How do you know about the meeting if you are not a member?"

He raised an eyebrow, "How did you?"

Rachel stopped, "What makes you think I did?" she demanded.

"You didn't seem surprised about the meeting taking place, only that I knew about it."

She regarded him rather intently for a moment before asking, "Do you even need help finding your way around?"

"What reason could I have for asking you to assist me if I didn't?" He looked away from her gaze before adding, "At any rate, you can rest assured I am no death eater. I am sure Professor Dumbledore has plenty of protections to prevent anyone with ill intent from entering the school."

Rachel looked as if she were about to disagree with his comment on Dumbledore' protections, but repressed it at the last moment,

"Yes, I'm sure he would never allow that. Though if you were a death eater I can't imagine that you would admit it to someone you've just met. You haven't even told me your name."

For the briefest of moments, part of Regulus' heart ached that she had not figured out who he was. Of course it was ridiculous. He looked completely different. He was purposefully changing his mannerisms, stretching the truth so far it should undoubtedly be considered a lie, and had even modified his speaking voice. The whole purpose of that was so that he wouldn't be found out. How could he possibly expect her to recognize him through all of that, and when he is supposed to be dead?

Pushing all of those thoughts away, he answered,

"Marcus Atilius, and you are?"

"Rachel Candor"

Regulus forced himself to simply nod at the introduction. Habit nearly kicked in, causing him to follow up with the formalities that always followed an introduction in pureblood society. All of those customs had been imbedded in his mind since birth.

"I was of the impression only it's members and death eaters knew of the existence of the Order. How did you know about it if you are neither?" Rachel asked.

"I have been approached about joining The Order, and likely will later. However for the time being I have other obligations that prevent my joining. What about you? I've been kept informed enough to know you've never been to any Order meetings before. Why the sudden interest?"

Again Rachel's entire demeanor turned sullen, before replying, "There were circumstances that prevented my joining sooner. There is nothing keeping me from it now," she stated firmly.

"Candor is a pureblood name, is it not? Though not a particularly old family. If you do not openly choose a side, the death eaters will likely leave you alone," Regulus stated much more casually than he felt.

"Yes, my blood is not 'old' enough to be sought after, but since I am pure, the death eaters can't target me without discounting their own credibility."

"Many would argue that you, being a pureblood, have nothing to gain by resisting Voldemort. You may even benefit if his side wins, since you are pure," he stated, again with an air of indifference.

"There is nothing Voldemort could offer to amend what he has taken. The longer he has power the more lives will be lost, more families broken. I think it is past time to fight back," she answered fiercely.

Regulus wanted nothing more than to plead with her to reconsider, but as he looked into her green eyes, which had become slightly tearful, he knew he couldn't.

She may not have been joining the Order to avenge his 'murder,' but his death was certainly playing into the timing of her joining. The fact that he had been a death eater was likely the only thing that kept her from joining The Order sooner.

Her own father had been taken from her because of Voldemort's idiocy. He had been a casualty during one of the first raids Regulus had ever been on. Even by then he had regretted joining the death eaters, only more so after he had gotten to know Rachel better. Why she didn't hate him, he'll never know.

It wouldn't be right for him to try to talk her out of joining the Order. Not even Evan had been able to convince him to reconsider joining the death eaters once he had set his mind to it.

Besides that, everything she was saying was true. He was the one that was selfish. He shouldn't even be allowing himself to talk to her right now, much less try to prevent her from standing up for herself. Perhaps he had always held her back. He realized that she truly was much better off without him in her life.

He decided the least he could do was not lie to her more than he already had. Circumstances being as they were, the only way he wouldn't have to lie to her would be to part ways as quickly as he could, and avoid her as much as possible in the future.

* * *

><p>Sirius had just finished helping Dumbledore explain the bare essentials of Regulus' situation to Mad Eye, when Edgar Bones entered the room. The three elder wizards had since began a conversation that could not hold Sirius' attention. His mind drifted instead to the exchange that had taken place between Mad Eye and his brother. Perhaps more interesting, than the interaction itself was Dumbledore's reaction to it.<p>

The headmaster either placed a great deal of confidence in Regulus' ability to talk himself out of trouble, or he believed Moody to be bluffing about arresting Regulus to begin with. Sirius could think of no other reasons for Dumbledore's lack of helpfulness during the interrogation. Unless he did not care if Regulus were arrested?

He had wanted Regulus to become a spy for the Order. Unless Dumbledore truly had no qualms about throwing Regulus to the wolves, he must have some faith in Regulus' abilities at deception. Sirius vaguely wondered what 'secret' Regulus could have ever hid to inspire such confidence in his abilities. The more Sirius thought about it, he thought it likely there were several. He couldn't help but wish his brother had a talent a bit more noble than deception, though he was not surprised by it. He was a Black, after all.

It was also possible that the headmaster knew Moody was bluffing and wouldn't actually arrest Regulus. However if that were the case, Moody was one hell of an actor. It looked as if it had taken an astronomical amount of restraint for the auror not to arrest Regulus. Even more so after Dumbledore had all but confirmed Regulus had once been a death eater. Sirius had no doubt that if it had been anyone but Dumbledore asking, the younger Black would have been arrested by now.

He didn't know what Dumbledore's feelings towards his brother truly were, but he did know the headmaster to be reasonable. He would not have asked Regulus to become a spy if he did not believe him capable of deceiving Voldemort. Sirius was even more confident that Dumbledore would have interceded before Moody actually arrested Regulus.

After a few minutes of pondering the eccentrics of Dumbledore, the other marauders and Lily entered the office, and tentatively made their way over to him.

"Hi Sirius," Lily greeted.

"Hello Lily, everyone," he nodded to them.

An awkward greeting was returned from each of the other three marauders. Lily was giving James a not-so-subtle look, it was obvious she wanted him to do something. After pointedly ignoring her at first, the awkward silence seemed to win out. James stated,

"Listen, Sirius, I didn't mean to be so… so-"

"Tactless?" Remus supplied.

James looked a bit uncomfortable but nodded, "Yes, I was tactless, and I'm sorry. Forgive me?"

Sirius vaguely wondered how much of his apology was genuine, and how much was from Lily and Remus ganging up on him. Seeing as he was hiding a much bigger secret, in Regulus' survival, he did not hesitate to accept the apology. He hoped James would be as forgiving when Sirius told him about Regulus.

"Don't mention it, Prongs. It had been a stressful day, with the funeral and everything. On top of that, we had been drinking and the idiot in the bar had gotten me riled up. I overreacted to what you said, if anything."

James beamed, "That's great, Pads! I was worried you would make me get on my knees and beg or something…" He paused for a moment before adding suspiciously, "That was too easy. You definitely would have made me beg any other time, or prove my sincerity by some other ultimate act of humiliation."

"I only make you beg when you act completely nonsensical. I can see why you reacted the way you did yesterday. There's nothing to forgive."

After a moment of evaluating Sirius, James' usual grin returned briefly. Shortly after all of their expressions turned somber as the five began discussing the most recent casualties of the war. Each were careful to avoid the topic of Regulus, though Sirius was only halfway paying attention to the conversation anyway.

James had never liked Regulus, and likely vice versa, though Regulus was more subtle about it. The two of them had never had a real conversation before, as far as Sirius knew. If James could like 'Marcus' on his own merits, before James found out who Marcus really was, then perhaps they would get along after the fact.

Regulus would still know who James was, there was no way around that. Fortunately Sirius was fairly certain it was impossible not to like James. Sure when he was younger, he had been a prat, they all had been. Often hexing Slytherins in the corridor for no other reason than to say they did it. They all had grown up since then, Lily had made sure of that.

All he had to do now was wait until Marcus was introduced to the marauders. Sirius was far less worried of Peter and Remus' reactions to Marcus, they generally got along with everyone. Once Marcus' true identity became known, it would be James' reaction that he would be most concerned of.

Remus had always recognized that despite their differences, Regulus was Sirius' brother. He also knew that Sirius had some innate desire to protect his little brother, no matter how long he had allowed that instinct to lie dormant.

Peter never disagreed with Sirius because he was appropriately impressed by Sirius' general awesomeness, or at least that was what James had often said. Peter rarely disagreed with James either though. Sirius thought it more likely because Peter hated conflict, though they were both admittedly pretty awesome.

If it came to a division between James and him, Sirius knew it would only be temporary. They were brothers in all but blood, after all. Sirius thought it likely that Lily would be understanding of his situation. She had often spoke of wishing her relationship with her own sister could be better.

Remus would try to give Regulus a chance. As long as Regulus was not identified as having committed any overly heinous crimes, Sirius could actually see Remus and Regulus being civil towards each other, if nothing else.

If he had Lily and Remus on his side, Peter would be as well. Because of his distaste for conflict in general, Peter often sided with whomever he thought most likely to win the argument when the marauders disagreed. He had commented before that it was the fastest way to end the argument, and it was fair because it did not favor one friend over the other.

Sirius was pulled from his musings, when a patronus galloped into the room.

* * *

><p>As Regulus and Rachel were approaching the front doors of the castle, they heard the sound of people running towards them. Amongst the group were the marauders.<p>

"What's going on?" Rachel asked.

"Death eaters. Diagon Alley. You're welcome to join us if you'd like," James Potter answered as he brushed past them. Then over his shoulder he shouted, "but only if you fight for our side!"

Sirius brushed past Regulus as if he did not know him, which Regulus was eternally grateful for. Dumbledore must have convinced Sirius it would be too risky for him to know 'Marcus,' before anyone else in the Order did. Rachel, for one, would have been suspicious of the timing of it.

Regulus noticed Pettigrew, who had been trailing behind the others, looked even more nervous than usual.

Once the Order members had cleared out, Rachel turned to him,

"What are you waiting on?"

"What do you mean? Neither of us are in the Order."

"Not yet, but we both plan to join. It would be senseless not to help out when we can," she said as they followed everyone else outside.

The others were quite a ways ahead of them. Regulus was walking at a very leisurely pace, which seemed to be irritating Rachel. He was surprised she continued to keep pace with him, rather than catch up to the others.

"Are you sure you want to go? No one knows you want to join the Order, do they? There could be confusion as to which side you are fighting for."

"They know me well enough to know I'm not a death eater, besides, the death eaters wear masks. We will not be wearing masks."

Regulus thought about correcting her, Bella for instance, never wore a mask.

"Kind of silly not to though, isn't it? I'd imagine it makes the death eaters' job of identifying who is in the Order pretty easy," he attempted to say offhandedly.

"That's… you're right. I wonder why the Order members don't try to conceal their identities."

"No idea, but the obligations I mentioned earlier, the ones preventing me from immediately joining the Order, will be greatly compromised if I draw attention to myself. Not having been educated at Hogwarts, I am pretty well under the radar for the time being. I'd like to keep it that way for as long as possible."

"So what, you aren't going to Diagon?"

He sighed, "I can't in good conscience, leave you to go alone. All of the other Order members have likely already left by now-"

"I'll be fine. Though I'm a bit surprised you don't want to go," she said somewhat irritably.

"I didn't say I wasn't going. I said my obligations would be compromised if I drew attention to myself."

"So, you are coming then?"

"With the condition that we disguise ourselves first, I will go. Why should we announce to the death eaters who we are? As you said, they all wears masks."

"You are hiding something,"

Regulus looked at her quickly and she smirked before continuing, "I suppose we all have our secrets. Fortunately for you, I do not find being added to the death eater's hit list particularly appealing, nor do I feel that apparating into a battle alone is sensible."

"What makes you think I won't turn on you as soon as we get there?"

"I assume you do not need me to apparate. In which case any plans you have of attacking me would be much more easily carried out here, rather than in a battle where you could be hit by another's crossfire."

"Good point," he conceded, though he couldn't help but wish she were less trusting.

"Alright then, what changes do you suggest I disguise myself with?"

Regulus smirked, at least she wasn't trusting enough to allow him to cast the charms on her. He would have been really worried then.

"Red hair, definitely. There are too many Weasley's for anyone to keep up with."

She obliged, changing her hair to red and curly, and her eyes to brown. Regulus sulked internally. Leave it to Rachel to be the exception to his aversion to all things red. She looked just as beautiful with red hair as she had with brown.

After changing his hair to blond and making it long enough to tie back, they apparated to just outside the Leaky Cauldron, knowing anti-apparition wards would be in place in Diagon Alley.

Regulus half expected the fighting to be over by the time they arrived. While the others had rushed off as quickly as they could, Regulus had been deliberately walking at his normal pace. Yet when they walked into the Alley, they were surrounded by chaos.

Regulus immediately grabbed Rachel's arm and pulled her to the side of nearest building. Being out of the middle of the fray allowed them to better take in their surroundings. Mad-Eye Moody was battling two death eaters nearby. As dark as it was, it was difficult to make out any of the other pairings. Though it did look as if quite a few death eaters were not engaged in battle at all, but were instead causing destruction to the businesses of Diagon Alley.

An explosion to their right drew their attention. Upon inspection, the source of the noise proved to be a building that had been partially imploded, and was now severely damaged. Rachel gasped at the same time Regulus stated,

"Sugarplum's Sweets Shop."

"You don't think there was anyone inside, do you?"

Regulus was fairly certain there was. Despite most shops closing at dark these days, many of the shop owners lived above their businesses. The owners of that particular shop were well known to have two small children who often played inside the store during business hours.

"I couldn't say," he replied noncommittally. His face must have said more than his words did, for Rachel had begun looking around as if to make her way towards the building.

"If we take out Moody's opponents, we should have a straight shot for Sugarplums. It doesn't look like any other death eaters are near enough to notice us."

That caught Regulus' attention. He raised an eyebrow, "Take out?"

"What? Would you prefer to simply disarm them? Do you think they will pay you back in kind?"

Regulus smirked, "I was going to suggest the jelly legs jinx. Though if you prefer to be more effective, I will follow your lead." He was happier than he cared to admit that Rachel was at least prepared to hurt someone if she was going to be involved in the war.

Rachel rolled her eyes before casting, "Ossis Effergo," twice in quick succession.

The first bone-breaker spell managed to hit the right hand of her targeted death eater, causing him to drop his wand. The second missed the death eater's left hand, as he had immediately grabbed the broken one upon contact. The spell did manage to graze his left forearm with enough force to break it.

Regulus cast, "inflecto telum flagrante," causing a flaming arrow to shoot out of his wand, piercing the second death eater in the shoulder. In the confusion of the death eater trying to decide whether to first put out the flames or pull the arrow out, Regulus removed the arrow.

He then cast, "Incarcifors," transfiguring the arrow into a prison structure, which he placed around the two death eaters.

Rachel then summoned their wands for good measure, much to Regulus' amusement.

Mad Eye Moody looked briefly surprised upon recognizing where his assistance had come from. He recovered quickly though, nodding once to them. He then ran off, presumably to find other death eaters to battle with.

Regulus wasn't entirely sure they shouldn't be going after the death eaters who weren't currently engaged in battle. Those death eaters were currently free to wreak havoc on the other businesses in the alley, after all.

One look at Rachel's face told him she was not going to be redirected from the family in Sugarplums. As there were only a few people that Regulus actually cared about, and Rachel was the only of those he could help at the moment, he chose not to argue with her decision.

The pair began cautiously making their way towards the confection shop. As most of the fighting was taking place in the center of the Alley by now, they did not meet any further obstacles along their way.

As they entered the somewhat collapsed structure, the sounds of the battle outside became extremely muffled. It appeared the owner's had charmed the building to block out outside noises and vice versa.

Their attention was brought instead to the sounds of children crying. Following the cries, they found a little boy around a year or so old, stuck in his crib. Across the room from him, his older sister was trying to awaken their parents who had seemingly managed to stay asleep through the beginning of the battle.

The little girl was crying and nearly in hysterics when they arrived. Once she saw them she all but shouted,

"They won't wake up!" which she continued to state repeatedly, through her tears.

It appeared part of the ceiling had collapsed and fell over the bed, where the parents were sleeping. After clearing away most of the rubble, Rachel set to work determining what could be done for them.

Regulus was torn between trying to help her and attempting to calm down the distraught children. After a moment of hesitation, the screaming won out, (not to mention, if he were wanting to make 'Marcus' as different from Regulus as possible, then not being adept with healing spells would be a good way to do it).

He awkwardly picked the baby up out of the crib and began patting it on the back, mimicking what he had seen others do before. The little boy looked at him with his big blue eyes and almost immediately calmed down. Apparently he just wanted to be held, Regulus mused. He then addressed the little girl,

"Hi, I'm Marcus, and that's Rachel." He indicated Rachel "What's your name?"

"Em-Emma"

"It's nice to meet you, Emma. Do you think we could take your brother to play in your room while Rachel fixes your parents up?"

"Ok- Will they be ok?"

"Rachel is excellent at what she does. She will do what she can for them," he answered kindly. "So what is your brother's name?" he asked as he followed her into the next room.

"He's Jacob. He's one, he can't play good. But I can, I'm three," she said excitedly.

The little girl visibly calmed down once her parents, in their current state, were no longer in her sight. Her mood had improved significantly by the time they entered her room. She happily began showing him around, pointing out several of her favorite toys as she went.

"Alright, what do you want to play?" he asked nervously.

As he looked around the room he couldn't help but think he would have been profoundly more comfortable battling with death eaters. He had never before been surrounded by so many baby dolls nor such a ghastly amount of pink.

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><p><strong>Please let me know what you think so far. Thanks again for reading!<strong>


	21. Diagon Alley Part 2

**I do not own Harry Potter… Enjoy!**

Sirius had been battling death eater after death eater for what seemed like hours. Each time he had an opponent in a position to be sufficiently subdued, the death eater would either port key away, or another death eater would come to their aid.

James was visible in his peripheral, but he had long since lost sight of Remus and Peter. Dumbledore had asked Lily to stay back to discuss something with him, though Sirius thought it was likely just an excuse to delay her from entering the battle. James had admitted to Sirius that he had asked Dumbledore to do just that, whenever possible, so as to limit Lily's interactions with death eaters in her current 'condition'.

Sirius did not know whether Regulus came to Diagon Alley or not. He had heard James invite 'Marcus' to the battle but he thought it unlikely Regulus would actually come. He was supposed to be trying to stay under the radar, after all. Still, as outnumbered as The Order was, it would have been nice to have more people fighting for their side.

Sirius was unsure what the purpose of the attack on Diagon Alley could be. Judging by the destruction being caused seemingly at random, there likely was no purpose at all, apart from causing panic. The death eaters were wisely sparing Gringotts, so as to not turn the goblins against them. Every other place of business seemed to be fair game.

As expected, the residents of the Alley were choosing to hide in their homes and hope for the best, rather than involve themselves in the battle. The wizarding population as a whole had become reliant on others to protect them from the death eaters, rather than making much effort to defend themselves.

After having dealt with his most recent opponent, who promptly port-keyed away before Sirius could stop him, yet another death eater engaged him in battle. It was evident he was now dueling with one of the more proficient duelists amongst the death eaters.

Curses were being expertly linked and sent in quick succession. Sirius, and his assailant, had both been unable to dodge all of the spells sent their way, though they had each managed to block the brunt of them. Interesting, was that the death eater seemed to have no qualms about casting dark magic, but had refrained from casting any unforgiveable curses at him. The only other time Sirius had dueled with a death eater that had not attempted unforgiveable curses, he was battling his brother. And Evan Rosier.

Sirius suspected he was dueling with Rosier now…although some involuntary part of his mind could not completely rule out Regulus either. He vaguely recognized some of the spells being used against him as spells he had seen in the Black ancestral grimoires, on the rare occasion he had looked at them. Those spells were only accessible by a Black as, like most books in their family library, they would curse anyone else who tried to read them.

Assuming Regulus had not changed sides again, then he or Bellatrix had to have taught at least one death eater some of the obscure dark magic of their ancestors. He knew Bellatrix was too proud to share that knowledge with anyone, apart from Voldemort. Sirius would actually have doubted that Regulus would share that knowledge either, yet the evidence that he had was right in front of him now.

If Regulus had taught other death eaters that sort of magic, Sirius was going to murder him. Not because Sirius cared anything about maintaining the secrecy of their family's magic, but because their ancestors had documented nearly as many methods of torture as there were wizards in Britain.

Sirius was unsure if he could beat Regulus in a duel, not that he would ever admit that aloud. At any rate, he doubted his brother would have ever bothered to learn to properly engage in hand to hand combat. Considering it was thought to be 'indecently muggle' by any 'self-respecting pureblood,' Sirius had ensured he became quite proficient at it.

Whoever he was dueling had initiated the battle. Assuming his current opponent was Evan Rosier, he had clearly been holding back significantly when they battled before, at St. Mungo's.

While they could never be considered friends, Sirius had thought they had reached some level of mutual respect during their recent collaboration to help Regulus. If it really was Rosier he was now battling, then it would seem he was about as pleased with the changes Sirius had made to Regulus' murder plot as Regulus had predicted. Unfortunately, without having Regulus around, Rosier seemed not to have any reason to keep from avenging his ill feelings.

Their battle was interrupted before a victor could be determined however, when another masked death eater approached them yelling,

"Retreat, Dumbledore is here, retreat!"

Sirius took his eyes off of his current opponent, assuming he would leave immediately and cast a silencing spell, followed by a cutting curse at the messenger. He thought deterring him from alerting the other death eaters might enable them to capture a few of them.

Sirius had just enough time to see his cutting curse graze the back of his targeted death eater, before he felt the full force of an unknown curse hit him square in the chest, knocking him flat. The spell had come from who he was now all but certain was Rosier. He gave Sirius a sort of half-hearted shrug before escaping using his port key, leaving the Black thoroughly annoyed.

At first, Sirius thought he had been hit with an overpowered knockback jinx, as he did not register any other effects. However when he tried to stand up he found he did not have the usual level of control of his limbs that he should. Moments later, he became unable to concentrate on anything but the excruciating pain that was beginning to set in. He was certain the pain would rival that of the cruciatus curse if it continued to worsen.

As the pain grew worse, Sirius couldn't help but hope he might black out at some point, but the relief never came. He closed his eyes tightly and felt who must have been James, grab him and attempt to determine what was wrong with him.

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><p>Once Regulus had gotten over his discomfiture at being left to entertain two small children, he found he was actually having fun. He had first made a game of alternating shooting bubbles from his wand for the kids to chase and casting spells to improve the stability of the imploded structure the family lived in. The children enjoyed the spells he cast to repair their home almost as much as the bubbles. The repairs required different spells, and therefore different colored 'pretty lights,' to be used.<p>

After the 'light and bubble' show ended, Jacob had looked extremely tired. Per Emma's suggestion, Regulus had used a cleaning charm on the boy's diaper and then summoned a bottle from the kitchen for him to drink. After drinking the bottle, the boy had taken a short nap. Though he had woken up since then, likely due to Emma's laughter.

After helping Emma put a ridiculous, but adorable princess gown on over her pajamas, Regulus had spent the majority of Jacob's nap twirling Emma around the room, while she proclaimed herself to be a ballerina.

Emma was now chasing Jacob as he rode on a toy broomstick that hovered a foot or so off the ground. Regulus was walking alongside the broom to ensure the boy did not fall off.

"I need a prince!" Emma giggled as she chased them.

The game was interrupted when the children's father, along with Rachel entered the room.

"Daddy!" the little girl yelled before hurling herself at her father.

The man stumbled back, clearly not quite himself after his recent ordeal. Regulus felt relieved to see the man's cheerful, albeit tired, expression. The kids were incredibly sweet and did not deserve to have their family ripped apart because of Voldemort, as so many families before theirs had been.

"Hey baby," he said as he hugged the little girl. "I'm sorry to take you away from your game, but it is most certainly past your bedtime."

"Is mommy ok?" the little girl asked.

"Yes, she is going to be fine. She had a few broken bones and is quite sore, but nothing to worry about. Rachel suggested we both go to the hospital to ensure she did not miss anything, but it can wait until the morning. What we all need now is sleep."

"Ok, daddy. Can Mawcus stay so we can play in the morning?

Regulus chuckled, "I'm sorry Emma, but as much as I've enjoyed playing, I'm afraid I can't stay."

"Thank you two, for everything," the father stated shaking Regulus' hand.

Rachel replied, "It was no trouble at all," before bidding them goodnight.

Regulus stated, "Good luck to all of you," before making his way to follow Rachel out of the room. He was surprised a moment later when he was engulfed in what would have been a bone breaking hug, had Emma been older than three.

Once he managed to escape from the toddler, who had become quite attached to him in the short time he had played with her, he looked up to find Rachel watching them with an amused expression. As they left the room and made their way towards the exit of the house she stated,

"I'm glad to see you survived. You looked a bit terrified of the children when we first got here."

"Yeah well, I haven't been around many kids before." He grimaced as he realized he had never actually been around any.

"I'd have never guessed," she answered absently, though whether she was joking or serious, Regulus couldn't tell.

As they reached the exit of the business/house, they looked outside cautiously. The fighting had ceased, and the Alley itself was empty apart from a few shop owners that had come outside to inspect the damage done to their businesses.

Finding no one they recognized, the pair apparated to the gates just outside Hogwarts, and immediately began their trek towards the castle. Regulus couldn't help but ask,

"So, still wanting to join the Order?"

"Definitely, why?"

Regulus smirked, "well, you went to fight and ended up healing. As everyone has their own unique skill set, and few of them include healing, I can't help but think your abilities in that regard might be just as useful, if not more so, than fighting.

"They have Madam Pomfrey for that. Besides, you saw how outnumbered the Order members were today."

Marcus gave a non-committal grunt (Regulus never would have made that sound).

They continued on in silence for a moment before Rachel asked, "why do I get the impression you don't want me to join?"

'Because I don't,' Regulus thought ruefully before answering conversationally,

"By all means join if you want, the more the merrier. Though you can't deny that statistically speaking, it is bad for your health."

She chuckled darkly, "Well it isn't much safer not to join. That family we helped in Diagon Alley certainly didn't ask to be targeted. They were at home asleep when it happened."

As the castle was looming ever nearer, Regulus gave up all pretenses, and grabbed her arm to stop her walking. He whispered urgently,

"There is a spy in the Order, Rachel. Wait until that person is identified and dealt with, before announcing your intent to join."

"H-how do you know that?"

"It's obvious someone is passing the death eaters information. Their members have been getting picked off one by one for weeks, longer than that really. Safe houses of the Order have been attacked. The death eaters have information they could not have, if everyone in the Order was solely loyal to them."

"Is that the obligation that prevents you from joining? You're trying to find out who it is?"

"Partly, yes," he answered evasively.

"There must be a way to identify a death eater-" she began slowly before being cut off.

"The aurors do not know how to identify them, Rachel. Anyone who came forward with knowledge of that nature would be heavily scrutinized. They would be suspected as a death eater sympathizer at best, because how else could they have acquired that information?"

Rachel avoided meeting his eyes, "Does Dumbledore know there is a spy?"

"He suspects, though he also likes to believe the best of people-well the people in his Order at any rate," he amended.

"Surely if a traitor is suspected a trap could be set. Give everyone a different location for a gathering. If there isn't a spy, then no harm done. If there is a spy, whoever was given the information where the death eaters show up, voila, spy identified."

"Perhaps Dumbledore has similar plans in the works. For now, I strongly advise you to keep what you know to yourself. Tell no one you went to Diagon Alley and most importantly do not tell anyone your future plans."

He then cast the counter charms to return her hair and eye color back to normal before casting the spell to change his hair to match Marcus'.

After ensuring her appearance was back to normal she asked,

"Why should I trust you? We just met, and aside from the layout of Hogwarts, you seem to know an awful lot. Probably more than you should from the sound of it."

Regulus rolled his eyes in exasperation of her choosing now to doubt the honesty of a stranger,

"You don't have to trust me to heed my advice. Keeping information to yourself for the time being will not hurt you."

"It could hurt others. If the spy is passing information-"

"Then it would be best to not give them more information than they are already receiving."

After a moment she nodded hesitantly before continuing on her way back to the castle, Regulus following. She mentioned going up to the hospital wing to see if she could help there. Regulus considered going to see Dumbledore now but doubted he would be alone. He decided to instead follow his own advice and leave, so as to not be linked to anything to do with the Order.

As he turned back towards the entrance hall, his way became blocked when a patronus in the form of a phoenix, stopped in front of him. In Dumbledore's voice it stated,

"Your presence is required in the hospital wing as quickly as you can get here".

Regulus immediately went to the staircase and took them two at a time, even deciding running down the corridor was acceptable as he made his way to the hospital. Dumbledore would not have summoned him for anyone but Sirius, and likely only then if it was dire. Naturally he was only running so as to portray the opposite persona of the dignified and proper pureblood that Regulus Black had been, and not because he actually cared about Sirius. Or so he told himself.

Upon entering the infirmary, and not seeing Sirius or Dumbledore, Regulus made his way towards the only bed that had the privacy curtains drawn around it. As he approached Dumbledore greeted him,

"You must have been close. I appreciate your quick arrival as I am sure Sirius does as well," he stated gravely.

"What's happened to him?" Regulus asked. He had never seen his brother look so wretched. There was a sheen of sweat covering his entire body, his hair was matted to his face and his skin seemed to be visibly moving somehow.

"He has been hit with a spell unknown to Poppy or myself. As far as we can tell, it was either a botched transmogrification curse or a designed variation of it. I wondered if you might recognize the spell, otherwise we shall have to send him to the curse unit at St. Mungos. As I am sure you are aware, the transmogrification curse, when cast properly, is lethal."

Regulus nodded, and immediately set to work identifying the spell. He recognized it as one coming from the Black family grimoires and knew Evan must have cast it. Only a Black could open those books, though he had shown Evan some of them. Bella would have never used the variation that wasn't deadly. Nothing but the best for family, after all.

The transmogrification curse caused its victim's bones to re-shape continuously, disfiguring the victim grotesquely before eventually, and mercifully killing them. It was said to be excruciating to endure and irreversible, unless the counter-curse is immediately applied. All variations of the spell had the unfortunate characteristic of preventing the victim from passing out, so as to force them to endure the worst of the pain.

The modified version, which Evan had cast, did the same but on a smaller scale. Where the transmogrification curse would get progressively worse and eventually cause death, the modified version was more gradual, would reach a level prior to causing the victim's demise, and then gradually begin to recede. It was also said to be excruciating, and could last for several days before wearing off. Judging by Sirius' appearance it earned its reputation.

Once Regulus finished reversing the effects of the spell, Sirius almost immediately passed out. Regulus then cast a series of diagnostic spells. He then set to work healing the other injuries he had endured, all of which were pretty minor.

He vaguely wondered whether Sirius had battled with anyone apart from Evan but knew better than to ask. He suspected Evan Rosier would not be a welcomed topic with his brother for a while.

Dumbledore stood in the corner watching, but did not comment until Regulus was finished. He then stated,

"I did not recognize those first spells you used."

"They have not been taught in the past century, at least. The ministry considers them to be dark," Regulus replied bluntly. He suspected the headmaster would never change his opinion of him and didn't have the energy to care at the moment.

"Alastor says you helped him out in the Alley. He is at the ministry now trying to acquire housing in Azkaban for the death eaters you captured."

Regulus nodded in response, but did not comment.

Dumbledore continued serenely, "I admit I am pleased you chose to capture rather than kill them. Everyone deserves the opportunity for redemption, as I'm sure you can attest to."

With effort, Regulus managed to appear unaffected by his assumption that he would find killing, possibly someone he used to consider a friend, as easy as capturing them. He replied calmly,

"It will be interesting to see how long they stay imprisoned. The ministry official responsible for releasing prisoners from Azkaban, Madam Livingston, I believe is her name, is under the imperius curse."

Upon looking up, Regulus noted with satisfaction that he had once again surprised Dumbledore.

"You are certain?"

"Yes," he replied simply.

The quick release of Evan's father had confirmed his suspicions, but he wasn't going to divulge that piece of information to Dumbledore. Especially since he could feel the headmaster's attempts at legilimency on him at that moment.

Regulus knew the headmaster was unable to read anything from him, and decided not to comment on it for now. Though if Dumbledore made a habit of it, or increased the strength of his attempts, Regulus' tolerance would certainly be tested.

"That is good to know. On another note, I have a notion as to where one of the objects you are searching for may be."

Regulus looked up quickly, as Dumbledore continued, "When I find the exact location, I shall request you and Sirius to meet with me, if you are agreeable?"

"Yes, definitely. I would like to destroy the objects as soon as possible."

"Very well, in that case I will-" he stopped as the curtains flew open and James Potter entered the 'room' followed by Lily Potter and Remus Lupin.

Regulus fought his desire to panic, and relaxed slightly when he noticed that at least Pettigrew was absent. 'Probably had to report back to his master', he thought critically. He couldn't deny he was happy not to be doing the same.

"I see you've decided not to follow my suggestion of waiting in my office," Dumbledore stated amusedly.

'Yes, it's very amusing how their inability to follow instructions is going to result in my cover being blown,' Regulus thought cynically.

"Is he better? Is he going to be ok? Who are you?" James demanded all without taking a breath.

Dumbledore answered, "This is Marcus Atilius. Thanks to him, Mr. Black is going to be ok. Mr. Atilius, this is James Potter and his wife, Lily, and Remus Lupin," he indicated each of them as he said their name.

"Nice to meet all of you," Regulus said politely despite feeling incredibly awkward and exposed.

Lily and Remus said something of the same effect, though they were muffled by James demanding to know,

"When will he wake up?"

"I suspect soon if you do not lower your voice. He is more asleep than unconscious," Regulus said in an entirely forced good-natured tone.

He was amused that his comment was exactly the same he would have made in another life, only the tone was different. Yet without being known as Regulus Black and having spoken somewhat cheerfully, the results were drastically different from what they would have been otherwise.

They all laughed in relief and thanked him for helping Sirius. As quickly as possible without seeming rude, Regulus excused himself. He remarked they should speak with the matron about getting Sirius a potion for soreness, and left rather than inquire about it himself. He wanted to avoid Rachel, and everyone else for that matter.

This was all turning out just wonderfully, he thought sarcastically as left the infirmary. He hoped Sirius' friends would forget him as soon as he left or at least not comment on who had 'saved' Sirius. He did not want that information getting around, especially not to Rachel or Pettigrew, for completely different reasons.

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><p><strong>Please leave a review to let me know what you think!<strong>

Fun Fact-transmogrification is the curse that Lockhart thought Filch's cat had been cursed with in Chamber of Secrets, prior to learning it had been petrified.


	22. Compromising and Graveyard visit

**I do not own Harry Potter.**

_Decaying arms wrapped around him, entangling in his hair and bruising his skin. Rotten teeth tore into his flesh as they dragged him down into the depths of the tinged water. He kicked his arms and legs in attempt to free himself, though his efforts were futile. His lungs were on fire, unable to draw breath..._

The former Black heir jolted awake, gasping for air. Not that he particularly minded escaping the nightmare. He found himself to be just as tangled and sweaty in his sheets as he had been every other time he had fallen asleep since the incident. He quickly grabbed his wand off of the nightstand and cast a spell to clean away the sweat from both his bedding and himself.

Regulus did not know what woke him up so suddenly, but as everything seemed peaceful, he saw no reason to investigate. Instead he straightened his covers, and conjured an extra blanket for good measure, (he doubted he would ever feel properly warm again since his near drowning experience) before wrapping himself up tightly, intent to get a couple more hours of sleep.

The cause of his abrupt awakening took that moment to make itself known, in the form of 'buzzing' from the callbox, signaling he had a visitor. One who had apparently lost their patience, and decided to hold down the button obnoxiously.

Reluctantly, he extracted himself from his burrow of blankets. The chill of the room hit him with full force, causing him to shiver as he made his way towards the box in the next room. In the most alert voice he could muster, he demanded, "What?"

"Hurry up and let me in, it's freezing out here!" Sirius' voice whined.

Regulus rolled his eyes. Sirius was not supposed to have been released from the infirmary until at least tomorrow. He must have snuck out while Madam Pomfrey was sleeping. He knew he was sure to regret his next words,

"I do not have to let you in. You still have access. You will have to take the stairs though," he hoped Sirius would understand that meant he was still keyed into the wards and not ask questions. He did not want to speak anymore plainly in case any muggles happened to be in hearing range. Not that they likely would have understood any of it.

Regulus waited a moment but heard no response. He assumed that meant Sirius was on his way up and went back and laid in bed, trying to get warm again. Regulus doubted his brother would actually allow him to sleep once he got there, but one could hope.

It seemed as if his head had just hit the pillow, when Sirius made his presence known by jumping onto theyounger brother's stomach in a sitting position.

For a moment, Regulus was unable to speak due to the shock and lack of oxygen. He took that time to give his brother the deadliest glare he could manage, all the while Sirius grinned at him as if crazed.

"I should have never healed you," Regulus eventually said.

"If not for your morbid mates, I would not have needed healing!" Sirius retorted as he stood back up.

Regulus sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes. It was indecently too early for an argument. Then again it was Sirius.

"Well, you did kind of deserve it."

"I-what? How could I have possibly deserved that?" he nearly shouted.

"You were tortured for what? An hour? If Evan's assistance to me is ever found out, he will be tortured incessantly for days, likely with the only relief being in death. He did not have to help me, and you repaid him by deviating from the plan. The repercussions of which could have easily been cause for his death."

Sirius looked slightly abashed for a moment but retorted none the less, "I can't believe you are defending him! He tried to kill me! Had he not botched the spell-"

Regulus held up his hand to stop him, "He did not botch the spell. He deliberately cast a variation of the transmogrification that was torturous, yes, but not lethal. I suspect he chose that particular spell as a means to determine whether I left the country or not. Had Evan wanted to kill you, he would not have hesitated to do so."

"How charming. The next time I meet him-"

"Perhaps you should consider yourselves even. I suspect Evan does. If you do not instigate anything further, he will likely leave you alone. If he has the option," he amended.

Sirius was giving him an indecipherable look, "What did you mean when you said he chose that spell to determine whether you left the country?"

"Surely you did not think methods of torture were all I ever studied in our family's library," Regulus answered irritably.

"I vaguely remember that you considered being a healer at some point," he said slowly, "However, I've never heard of any variations of the transmogrification that were not designed to kill. It was obviously not a well-known spell that he used. How could he have expected you to know how to heal it?"

"He probably suspected I would have studied it. More important is that if it could not have been healed, it would have worn off on its own eventually," Regulus answered evenly.

Unfortunately it seemed Sirius was not buying it, "Where did he get the spell, Regulus?" he demanded.

"Sirius, you know all of the ancient, 'dark' families have their own grimoires."

"Yes, and none of them are nearly as reputable as the Blacks," Sirius hissed.

Regulus rolled his eyes, "Fine, what difference does it make? I showed it to him. Happy?"

"How could that possibly make me happy? Who else did you show?" Sirius asked angrily.

"No one-"

"Why did you show him at all? Mother would murder you if she found out you showed anyone those books."

"Concerned with preserving family secrets now, are you? How touching."

"Of course not! But you've given the enemy dangerous spells, I can't believe you could be so stupid!"

"I wasn't giving the 'enemy' dangerous spells, Sirius. Perhaps you'll remember I was a death eater not so long ago?"

"What did you get in return?"

"What makes you think I received anything?"

"So what, you just gave away some of the family's most treasured information, to Rosier, because you wanted to?" Sirius asked with an abrupt change in mannerisms. He now seemed less annoyed and his expression appeared more sympathetic than anything else. Though Regulus had no idea what that was about.

"I suppose you could say that," he answered evasively. It wasn't entirely truthful, but sometimes Sirius was better left in the dark.

"I should have known. It explains a lot."

"Explains what?" Regulus asked hesitantly. Maybe it was due to the early hour, but he was fairly certain he missed something in this conversation.

Sirius began slowly as if explaining to a small child, "Every girl in Slytherin used to trip over themselves to get you to notice them. Yet the only girl I have ever seen you voluntarily hang around besides Narcissa is Cassie Greengrass. As she dated Zabini my entire seventh year-"

Regulus grew tired of his condescending tone and interrupted,

"What are you on about?"

"You're gay," Sirius continued in the same overly slow manner.

Regulus snickered, "no, you idiot, I'm not. Nor is Evan for that matter."

Sirius was looking at him skeptically, "why did you ignore all of those girls if not because you are gay?"

"Did you really come here at sunrise to discuss my orientation? I'm not gay. If you don't believe me, then don't. I couldn't care less. I would like to go back to sleep though, so if that is all, I'll trust you can see your way out," Regulus said as he settled himself back into his bed.

"I did not come here for that. Though now we are on the subject I find myself extremely curious. What girls-"

"You'll just have to stay curious, Sirius. It's all in the past and it's really none of your business."

"Of course it is, you're my brother!"

Regulus rolled over to his side and closed his eyes. Sirius wanted to be brothers now that it was convenient for him. Regulus would have had far more use for a brother years ago. He took full responsibility for joining the death eaters, he was also appreciative of Sirius' help recently. Still, he could not help but think neither would have been warranted had things been even slightly different.

At sixteen Regulus believed himself to have everything to gain and nothing to lose when he joined the death eaters. His mother constantly harped on how proud it would make her if he joined. Bella spoke endlessly of her happiness for serving the Dark Lord. The majority of his housemates planned to join as soon as they were able.

Had he had Sirius remained even reasonably close, Regulus would have had their relationship to consider before joining. Perhaps the end result would have been the same, but Regulus would have at least had some hesitation then. He had not wanted to lose his brother when he was ten and Sirius left for Hogwarts, after all. He liked to think he would have at least tried to preserve their relationship at sixteen, had one existed.

Regulus also knew when Sirius moved out it was to escape their parents. Though whether it was intended or not, he had abandoned Regulus as well. Regardless of any attempts to mend their relationship now, Sirius did not deserve to be privy to everything he missed in Regulus' life during his voluntary absence from it.

Sirius must have grown tired of waiting for a response and added, "either tell me the girls you have dated, or been with otherwise, or I will tell you, in detail, every girl I have ever had the pleasure of-"

"Are you sure about that?" Regulus cut in smugly, though unmoving from his position in bed, "I would be highly surprised if you remember all of their names." He could not see his brother's expression but it took him longer than expressly necessary to respond,

"These are the types of things brothers our age talk about, you know. If we are going to be on speaking terms again, shouldn't we start doing brother things?" Sirius asked somewhat uncertainly.

"Alright then. I'll tell you the girls, during the times you've considered yourself my brother."

When he did not hear a response, Regulus sat up and looked at Sirius, who looked confused, but nodded. Regulus continued,

"You left when I was fourteen, before I was really attracted to any one particular girl. Though I had probably snogged Farrah Fawley by then, it was around the same time you left."

"Fawley would be attractive if you can get past her being a Slytherin, but that was over four years ago. You must have had more experience since then.

Regulus smirked, "As per our agreement, we shall skip ahead to when you and I resumed being on speaking terms. In the past week that we have been in contact, I have not had any opportunities, and now have the added problem of being believed dead. On the bright side, mother and father had been reviewing proffered marriage contracts before I 'died,' so at least I have escaped that."

Sirius shook his head and then smirked, "Was that you trying to convince me you aren't gay?"

Regulus paused as if thinking about it, "No. As I think I may have mentioned already, I don't care what you think."

Sirius' smile broadened, "Just out of curiosity, which girls did mummy and daddy approve of for their little Reggiekins?"

Regulus rolled his eyes at the incredibly stupid nickname, "Father was trying to convince mother of either Katherine Selwyn or Cassie Greengrass."

Sirius looked almost… impressed? "I don't know much about Selwyn, but aside from being friends with you, Greengrass always seemed decent for a Slytherin. They would both be nice to look at, if nothing else."

His smile turned distinctly more evil, "And mother? Who did she think of as the daughter she never had?"

"Amaryllis Parkinson, though there were a couple of prepubescent girls still in the running," he answered distastefully.

Sirius laughed uproariously, "I'll concede perhaps father at least has some amount of conscience. Mother is pure evil."

Regulus fought to keep his expression disapproving as Sirius attempted to compose himself. Eventually Sirius asked,

"Alright then, we got off track. You were just about to tell me what Rosier gave you in return for showing him spells from our family's library. If he is not your lover, you must have required something in exchange."

"I showed him because he asked and I didn't think it was a big deal. We were on the same side of the war at the time, you know."

"Either tell me the real answer, or you're going to hear more than your delicate little ears can handle."

Regulus ran his hand through his hair while gathering his thoughts before deciding it best just to get it over with and tell him. Sirius could be unbearably persistent when he wanted to know something. What he was asking now was not worth the trouble of keeping from him. While he knew his brother wouldn't approve, he really should not be surprised either,

"Fine, I'll tell you. The spell he cast on you, is a spell he agreed to let me cast on him a few years ago," he stated simply, as if it was no big deal.

"You're lying," Sirius stated with confidence. At least until he caught sight of the guilty expression on Regulus' face,

"Why would you want to torture him? And why the hell would he willingly allow it?"

"So I could practice the healing spells to counteract it, obviously."

"Obviously. Yes, how silly of me," he stated calmly before yelling, "Are you outside your freaking mind? You have to be, both of you. And clearly Rosier has a death wish. What if you had cast the spell wrong? What if you had been unable to heal him?"

"I'm sure Evan would be touched by your concern for his well-being. To answer your questions, my mind is perfectly fine, I was careful to cast the spell correctly, and I was fairly proficient with healing spells by then. Also, we were at Grimmauld, so it wouldn't have taken long to get to St. Mungo's-"

"If the spell is from the Black family grimoires, no one at St. Mungo's would have known how to heal it! You are supposed to be the sensible one in the family! How could you have possibly thought that was a good idea?"

"I don't know. There was a lot going on back then. Obviously it was stupid."

Sirius shook his head in disbelief before stating, "Stupid doesn't even cover it."

"It's not like you haven't participated in your own brand of stupidity, Sirius. You can spare me the lecture. It was a long time ago and I've no intention of repeating the experiment."

Sirius continued to shake his head absently. Possibly in attempt to clear it, "Fine. Just don't do it again. The actual reason I came here is to take you to Pancakes at the Potters. Its tradition, every Saturday, since last week, the marauders all go to the Potter's cottage and Lily fixes us pancakes. And we eat them. It's wonderful."

"Well, have fun and eat a pancake for me. I'm not a marauder, and am trying not to draw attention to myself, so I will be staying here."

"No, you'll love it! And I've already asked James and Lily if it's ok."

"Oh really, and what did they say?"

"Lily says it's the least we can do since you saved my life. James… well you can win him over at breakfast."

Regulus wanted to laugh but managed to keep his face neutral. Potter was far too jealous of anyone he thought to be occupying too much of Sirius' attention, to ever be won over by them. Sirius bringing him to breakfast was probably not a good idea in any situation, or with any identity. Of course that wasn't the only reason he didn't want to go.

"Sirius we need to talk. Has anyone in the Order ever alluded to the possibility that there could be a spy amongst the group?"

Sirius looked at him in surprise, "Nothing has been said officially. I have thought in the past that the death eaters seem to know more about us than they should. I suggested it once to James."

"What was his response?"

"That if we could not trust our friends, we couldn't trust anyone."

_How incredibly naïve_, "Does he consider everyone in the Order to be a friend? Or was he referring only to the marauders?"

"I didn't ask. But James is pretty much friends with everyone he meets, so it's hard to say."

'_Only because he refuses to meet a lot of people,' _Regulus couldn't help but think.

Choosing his next words carefully he stated, "There is definitely a spy in the Order. I know they are your friends, Sirius, but it would be unwise to take anything for granted right now."

As expected, Sirius immediately began to get angry and defensive, "There may be a spy but I guarantee it is not a marauder! James hates anything to do with the dark arts, and is married to a muggleborn. Peter is as loyal as they come, and Remus… dislikes anything about himself that could be construed as dark."

"Well it would be sensible to at least consider the actions of those around you most frequently to see if you notice any changes. For instance, are any of them around less often than they used to be?" Regulus asked calmly.

"Well James is married so he can't be around as much as he used to. Peter is Peter, and Remus- well he does disappear from time to time."

Apparently Sirius had not completely renounced all pureblood beliefs. He definitely sounded suspicious of the werewolf. That was actually probably a good thing though. If he could suspect Lupin its possible he could be convinced to suspect Pettigrew.

"Lupin disappears from time to time. What like 3 days per month? He's always done that, hasn't he? We are looking for new behavior."

"Wait, what? What do you know about Remus?"

Regulus rolled his eyes, "He's a werewolf, as anyone with common sense could have figured out."

"H-how long have you known?"

"I don't know, third year maybe? By fourth definitely."

"Why didn't say anything?"

"What purpose would I have had to say anything?"

"I don't know, blackmail is not uncommon in Slytherin from what I've heard, but none of the marauders even knew you had found out about his condition. I can also think of several of your housemates who would have shamelessly enjoyed ruining Remus' life. Snape for one, was desperate to know. It nearly cost him his own life."

Regulus chuckled humorlessly, "Yes, I remember. He let me hear about that, I can assure you. As for why I didn't tell anyone? Blackmail is fairly common, but there was nothing Lupin could have offered me in exchange for my silence. As for my housemates, you don't just give away knowledge for free in Slytherin. The only person who ever cared enough about it to benefit me was Snape. Like Lupin, Snape had nothing of comparable value to offer me in exchange for the knowledge. I had no reason to divulge the secret."

"I'll take that to mean you like Snivellus about as much as I do," Sirius remarked happily.

"I do not dislike Snape, nor do I particularly like him either. To be honest, I don't really know him all that well. Though I suspect I know him better than you do," Regulus said pointedly.

"It seems like you would have tried to stop him from following through with the 'advice' I gave him, unless you didn't like him."

"I didn't know the extent of the idiocy involved in your 'advice,' only that you told him how he could find out the truth about Lupin. I did try to warn him not to go through with his plans though, indirectly of course."

"How did you indirectly warn him about that?"

"I don't know, it was a long time. I think I said something to the effect that he should, 'stop mooning over anything Sirius was dogging him about. If he really wanted to know, he should ask _deer_ Pettigrew because he would be sure to rat him out if threatened,' or something along those lines. But did he listen? Of course not. All he did was look at me as if I had lost my mind, and you know the rest."

Sirius' face was priceless, "How did you-"

"What did you mean by Peter is Peter? I had forgotten his animagus form is a rat. That seems appropriate for a spy, doesn't it? Also, there have been several occasions lately that I have seen the other marauders, but he has been absent. I can't remember a time at Hogwarts that he wasn't following you or Potter around."

Sirius looked as if he cared more about how Regulus knew about their animagus forms, but answered his question nonetheless, "his mother has been sick, he has been caring for her."

Regulus hummed suspiciously, "Wasn't that one of the excuses Lupin used for all of the school he used to miss?"

"There's no way it could be Peter. I mean, its Peter. How could it?"

"It could be him, but it isn't necessarily," Regulus allowed. He knew it best not to push Sirius too much at once or he would lose his cooperation. Sirius was nearly as loyal to his friends as Regulus used to be towards their family,

"We just need to find out. If any death eaters were pardoned from being branded, I would be surprised. Though it is possible the spy would have been marked differently. If that's the case they would be more difficult to identify. Asking everyone to reveal their left forearms would give away that we know a death eater has infiltrated the Order and also about the mark. It was only a matter of time before a spy was suspected, but the knowledge of the mark would certainly arouse suspicion."

"It's settled then!" Sirius grinned, "You shall come to breakfast, where we will confirm the innocence of my friends. Something you could never claim I might add. I'll expect the most lavish apology you can manage when you are proven wrong."

"We have to be more stealthy than just demanding everyone reveal their forearms. Weren't you listening?"

"These are my friends, Regulus! I do not believe they are death eaters. If you are so insistent they be ruled out as spies, we will at least do it my way. You can be as stealthy as you'd like with the rest of the Order."

"Are you sure none of your posse will mention the mark to anyone else?"

"If I ask them not to, they will not. I hope you know by 'my way,' I meant that you're coming with me."

"That falls into the category of creating a plan and then not following it through, I hope you realize. I am supposed to be staying under the radar."

"You've already met the marauders, it won't hurt anything. Now get up and get dressed, I'm hungry!"

* * *

><p>After having visited for a while, Rachel discreetly examined her surroundings from her position beside her father's gravesite. Seeing no one she carefully made her way across the cemetery, to where a newly placed headstone resided.<p>

Rachel was unsure what material the solid black headstone was made of, but it was certainly the most elegant in the cemetery. It had undoubtedly cost the most. Yet the most striking difference between that gravesite and all of the others was that there was no body buried there. There had not been enough of one found to bury.

Rachel quickly cast privacy wards around herself before sitting down on the frozen ground beside the headstone. It was freezing outside, not that she noticed. For a long time she sat there in silence.

After a while she spoke, "Hi Reg," before chuckling sadly to herself.

"Maybe this is stupid- but after my father passed, a family friend recommended that when I missed him most I should spend some quiet time alone. I would feel his presence then. I've told you that already though, of course.

"I've been trying, but I haven't felt your presence anywhere."

Silent tears had begun to fall down her face but she ignored them as she continued,

"I don't know why I came here," she scoffed. "Your body isn't here, certainly no other part of you is either. I've already been through the places that remind me of you most, but then everything reminds me of you.

"People probably think I am crazy," she smiled softly, "I couldn't blame them. For the record this is my first monologue," her smile faded quickly.

"There are some pretty awful rumors about what happened. I don't know anyone who knows the truth that would tell me. Maybe I am better off not knowing, though it makes it hard. I refuse to believe that you could have died for nothing. You were far too honorable to have ever been a death eater to begin with. How you didn't know that before-" she shook her head.

"I choose to remember your death as your freedom. Whatever happened, you finally managed to rise above your family's expectations for you. Allowing who you truly are to show through the mask your family taught you to wear. Had your parents ever gotten to know their son properly, they would have seen how beautiful you were without it. I refuse to remember you in any other way. I love you, Regulus. Always."

As she finished speaking to no one, she felt incredibly stupid and finally began to feel as cold as the weather warranted. Shivering, she stood up to leave. She was just about to undo the privacy wards around herself when she turned and came face to face with a death eater.

While he could not see her, he would likely not be standing there, if not for knowing her location. She did not know how long he had been there, or how long she had before he might decide to start breaking down her enchantments. Deciding she didn't want to wait like a sitting duck, she took down her own wards to face him.

* * *

><p><strong>If you have a chance, please let me know what you think. I have no way to know otherwise, and it's important to me. I do try to incorporate whatever I can from the feedback that I get. Thanks for reading!<strong>


	23. Pancakes with Marcus

**I do not own anything...**

* * *

><p>Sirius apparated with Regulus to Godric's Hollow, to the area between the church and the cemetery, which was his custom whenever time allowed. He always enjoyed the short walk from there to James and Lily' cottage. Godric's Hollow had a very charming atmosphere that Sirius did not get to appreciate nearly as often as he would like.<p>

Sirius glanced at his brother to find him staring at the church as if it was something foreign. He supposed it was to Regulus. Sirius would have never been inside one if not for having spent so much time at the Potter's.

As he continued to lead Regulus/Marcus towards James' cottage he couldn't help but feel slightly guilty. Regulus had made it clear he did not want to be around Sirius' friends, yet here they were.

Regulus was not exactly a pushover, as the things that truly mattered to him, he would not budge on. However, growing up with Regulus, there had never been very many things that mattered much to him. He almost always chose to appease others, especially their parents, if it could save an argument. It had driven Sirius insane in their youth. Not that it had ever stopped him from taking advantage of it when it was to his benefit.

He realized even now he was taking advantage of it. Regulus didn't want to be here. Why couldn't he just let him leave? He buried his feelings of guilt. Spending the morning with the marauders was not going to hurt his brother, if anything they would be a good influence on him.

Sirius regretted that conflict had kept him and Regulus away from each other during their school years. While Regulus was a bit more dry and sarcastic than he had been in their youth, he was still quite a lot more fun to be around than Sirius had expected, certainly more than he would admit. Despite their differences, Sirius thought it possible that 'Marcus' could fit in with his friends, though it would require him to make an effort.

Sirius stopped on the sidewalk in front of the cottage that belonged to James and Lily. He wanted to ask Regulus to try to get along with them, but did not want to come across as telling him he couldn't be himself. Despite his twenty years, being an older brother felt a bit new to him,

"Regulus, please…" he didn't know how to finish and his words hung awkwardly between them for a few moments.

Apparently having some idea of what Sirius wanted to say, Regulus answered quietly,

"I know it's important to you for me to get along with them, Sirius. I can't make any promises, but I will try. You should keep in mind though that even if they are able to tolerate me today, they hated your brother. I doubt there is anything that could change that."

Without waiting for a response Regulus began walking up to the front door of the house. Sirius caught up with him just in time to knock.

* * *

><p>Evan Rosier hated his life some days. Today was one of them. Bellatrix asked him to trail Severus Snape and report his whereabouts to her, for only merlin knew why. Whether the dark lord was even aware of his 'mission,' he did not know. He had no choice but to follow the order, though he highly suspected this was more of his crazy cousin's whim than anything else. She had never liked Snape, and would relish the opportunity to torture him, should the opportunity present itself.<p>

His strongest warming charm was unable to keep him entirely warm with it being as cold as it was outside. Why the greasy bat decided to visit his mother's gravesite today, he could only guess. As far as Evan was concerned, the dead would prefer for their loved ones to get on with their own lives, rather than mourn the loss of theirs.

He decided visiting Regulus' grave would be less suspicious than lurking in the shadows, and made his way in that direction. He was surprised to find there had been privacy wards placed there. He thought the visitor likely to be Rachel, since whoever it was had opted for privacy. While he hated to intrude, he thought it best to warn her that Snape was lurking nearby should she want to leave anytime soon.

A couple of minutes after his arrival he was mildly surprised when Rachel pointed her wand in his face. Her usually gentle voice, was full of venom today,

"I would ask if you are here to pay your respects, but I think in your case, your very presence proves you have none."

"I didn't kill him, Rachel."

"You didn't stop anyone else from doing it either though, did you? That doesn't make it any better."

"What would you have had me to do? Stand between him and their wands? We would both be dead."

She scoffed, "At least then you wouldn't be a coward. He would have helped you, had your situations been reversed." She made to brush past him, but he grabbed her arm.

She jerked her arm away from him, "Don't touch me!"

"Insult me all you want, but don't leave yet. Snape is visiting his mother's gravesite not far from here-"

"If your next closest friend is Snape, then you are worse off than I thought."

Evan smirked, before casting privacy wards around them.

"What are you doing?"

"I think it best if we are not seen together, don't you?" He then pointed behind Rachel to where a tall blonde appeared to be gracefully floating towards them.

"Why is Cassie Greengrass here?" Rachel asked.

"Visiting, I suppose, she was good friends with Reg."

"Oh right. I thought she might have been here with you."

Evan shook his head absently. Glancing at her, he was slightly surprised to find her neutral expression towards Cassie. Few girls from Hogwarts seemed capable of looking at the blonde without obvious jealousy marring their features.

Cassie was possibly the only Slytherin that was not actively hated simply because of house affiliation. The girls, nearly all girls including Slytherins, hated her, while nearly all guys, in every house secretly adored her. She had been the prettiest girl at Hogwarts in their time. Regardless of house, few would even bother to deny it.

Despite the improved scenery Cassie's appearance always inspired, Evan wished they had backed farther away from the grave. There was little more than ten feet between them and the headstone. He would not have hid from Cassie, if not for Snape, who was now leaving the cemetery. He would have to walk right by them to get to the exit.

Evan cast an extra 'notice me not,' spell, and hoped for the best. It was all he could do at this point.

"Good morning, Greengrass" Snape drawled.

Cassie inclined her head, "Snape."

Snape looked from the headstone back to Cassie and smirked. She gave him a look that anyone in Slytherin would recognize to mean she was about to curse him into oblivion.

Wisely, Snape chose not to make the comment he had originally planned.

"I had nothing to do with that," he inclined his head towards the headstone, "just so you know."

She nodded, but did not comment.

It seemed Snape was unable to keep his comments to himself, after all,

"I suppose his death puts you in a tight spot though doesn't it?"

"Do not pretend to know more than you do, it only makes you look foolish," she said coldly.

"I know only what I was told… by your brother" he smiled nastily. "I suspect he is well enough informed of the implications Black's death has for you."

"I wouldn't put much stock into anything Cyrus told you. Not to mention, it really is none of your business," she replied in the same cold tone, seemingly unaffected by his taunt.

"It would serve you well to begin thawing your ice queen act. I do not think whomever you become betrothed to will approve of it. Personally I am hoping for Mulciber, the imperius curse he cast on Mary Macdonald in fifth year was truly exquisite."

Evan clenched his jaw and tightened his grip on his wand. He could tell Rachel was looking at him curiously.

"Tell me Snape, what is it that you hope to accomplish by fighting for pureblood supremacy? Has it escaped your notice that you're a half-blood?"

"Do not pretend to know more than you do, it only makes you look foolish," he mocked.

"Oh, are you a pureblood, then? I didn't realize. Though I am curious what your master would think of your hopeless obsession with a married mudblood."

"Do not call her that!" he hissed.

"Why? You did. And now she's happily married and bearing the child of the one person you hate most in the world. I wouldn't compare life's misfortunes with others if I were you," she smirked before disapparating.

In a fit of rage, Snape kicked Regulus' headstone and broke his foot by the sound of it. He quickly cast a healing spell on himself before stalking away, much to Evan's amusement.

He did not particularly like Snape on a good day. After what he said to Cassie, he disliked him even more. He was a little disappointed that Cassie had not cursed him, but it was probably for the best that she made a clean escape instead.

Turning back to Rachel he said, "It's probably safe to go now."

"What was all that about marriage contracts?"

Evan answered reluctantly, "I know Cassie's father submitted a contract to Orion. It sounded like more was going on than just that though. Cassie and Cyrus were getting along fine at the funeral."

Rachel continued to look rather stunned, "Regulus was betrothed to Cassie Greengrass?"

"No. There were a couple of dozen contracts on the table, the girl had yet to be selected," he answered carefully. "I thought Regulus told you his parents would likely force him into an arranged marriage."

"He mentioned it, yes, but I didn't realize it would have been so soon. Or that it could be someone he already knew… I was more of the impression it would be someone indecently too young to marry for several years," she answered distractedly.

"It often is."

Doubting Rachel was up to a long conversation, he skipped any transitioning questions he normally would have used and bluntly asked,

"So, how is Sirius?"

"He just lost his brother, so I suspect not good."

"I meant after the curse he was hit with the other night. I heard it was pretty ugly."

"Perfectly fine now, just sore I think. Why the sudden concern with him?"

"Just curious," he answered honestly.

He was extremely curious in fact. What could be so important for Regulus to risk staying in the country? He could have easily escaped by now. Hell, he could have told Rachel the truth and taken her with him if he wanted to. And even if he was staying, why hadn't he told Rachel that he was alive? He could certainly trust her with the knowledge, if no one else.

Evan thought he knew the answer to that question, Regulus wanted to protect her. It seemed in his efforts to protect Rachel, he had overlooked that his death would hurt her more than anything else could. While Rachel had already proven herself to be more forgiving than most, she would likely struggle to get past him faking his death and not confiding in her, assuming she ever finds out about it.

It seemed Regulus really did plan to leave everything behind (aside from the country) when he 'died.' If Evan with his limited emotional capacity recognized that Rachel was unlikely to forgive Regulus, then surely Regulus would have already drawn the same conclusion. Yet he had still chosen not to confide in her. Evan was unsure what to make of that.

Between Evan never being much for small talk and Rachel not being particularly pleased with Evan or anything else in the world at the moment, the two walked in relative silence to the gates of the cemetery, where they parted ways rather quickly.

* * *

><p>Sirius was eating his second plate of pancakes. The room had been much quieter than was custom when the marauders were together. Though today, they were a marauder short: Peter was not there. Aside from the initial greeting, Regulus had remained fairly silent.<p>

Sirius mused that he was likely sulking that he had come for no reason. Sirius on the other hand was pleased for the opportunity for Regulus to bond with some of his friends, though he didn't know how best to initiate conversation between Regulus and his friends.

Sirius was spared coming up with a way to engage 'Marcus' when Lily came to the rescue,

"So Marcus, Sirius mentioned that you were homeschooled?"

Regulus looked up in surprise. Sirius belatedly realized this could have been a huge mistake. Regulus had likely never spoken to a muggleborn before, certainly never cordially.

"Oh yes, I was. Even in primary school."

"Did you enjoy it?" she asked eagerly.

"It wasn't bad. It could be a bit too quiet sometimes, but I was allowed to study at my own pace, which was nice."

"Which NEWTs did you take?"

"Charms, Defense, Herbology, History of Magic, Potions, Transfiguration, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, oh and Muggle Studies."

Sirius choked on the orange juice he was drinking. How could he have possibly thought that was a good idea to say? Lily was muggleborn!

"Oh yeah? And what was that like?" He couldn't help but ask.

At the same time, Lily stated,

"I'm muggleborn and took muggle studies in third year. I thought it would be fascinating to hear the wizarding view of muggles. I dropped the course after my first year of it though. I found the class to be rather disappointing."

Marcus smirked discreetly towards Sirius, "the muggle studies class I had, focused more on muggle literature than anything else. I found it fascinating," he said in a convincingly charming manner.

The discussion of literature piqued Remus' attention as well. He asked, "What was your favorite book?"

Marcus scrunched his eyebrows as if thinking about it, before reciting,

"_You will always be fond of me. I represent to you all the sins you never had the courage to commit_."

'The Picture of Dorian Gray'_._ Excellent choice!" Remus said excitedly.

"Oh, not me. That book is interesting, but much too dark for my liking," Lily intoned.

Sirius had not read much of muggle literature, but he had watched enough episodes of 'The Twilight Zone', to be fairly certain he had entered one.

Marcus smirked, "Alright then. What's your favorite?"

Lily smiled, "See if you can figure it out. "_Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us.""_

Regulus looked at Remus as if waiting for him to take a guess. Remus laughed,

"I already know her favorite book. It would be unfair for me to guess."

By way of answer, Marcus recited, "_You expect me to account for opinions which you choose to call mine, but which I have never acknowledged_."

"Yes, I just love Pride and Prejudice!" Lily exclaimed.

Yes, Sirius was definitely in the 'Twilight Zone.'

"What about you Remus?" Marcus asked conversationally.

"I like nearly everything, though I will not attempt to quote anything for fear of not doing it justice."

Marcus nodded before turning to address James. He asked,

"And you, James? Any favorites?"

"I do not see much use in reading old books. Though I do think every slytherin should read Macbeth to find out where all of their ambition is going to get them," he smirked.

For the first time, Marcus' façade slipped, though it seemed to be more due to inappropriate surprise than anger, "You've read Macbeth?"

"Yes, and I must say, "_Nothing in his life, __Became him like the leaving it_," sums up each and every death eater rather nicely," James continued oblivious to the former death eater amongst them.

Marcus' expression was indecipherable as he carefully stated, "I found reading Macbeth to be a bit distracting, as it is written as a play. However if memory serves, that quote is in reference to the Thane of Cawdor openly confessing his treasons, asking forgiveness and repenting deeply for his transgressions. Spoken plainly it means, the only good thing he did in his life was repent and die. I like that quote as well, but I think it could be applicable to all of us. As none of us are blameless, we should all hope to have such clarity in the face of death."

To Sirius' surprise and relief, Regulus immediately changed the subject seamlessly, "I confess myself curious as to which house I would be sorted into, had I gone to Hogwarts."

Sirius laughed, "Hufflepuff. Definitely."

James joined in his laughing though Remus and Lily looked at him disapprovingly.

"What's wrong with Hufflepuff?" Marcus asked in what would be an innocent tone.

"It's the house of the leftovers," James remarked.

"I read they value hard work and loyalty. I wouldn't call that leftovers. We could all do with a bit more loyalty these days."

"Can't argue with that," Sirius grinned, "take my patronus for example. Nothing says loyalty better than having a patronus to take the form of a dog."

"Is your patronus a dog?" Regulus asked good-naturedly. He then stated in his best fake innocence, "I have a relative whose patronus form is a dog. I don't think his form is because he is particularly loyal though." He smirked, "In his case, I think it more likely due to his habit of humping anything that stands still long enough."

Sirius dropped the fork he was holding and stared at Regulus, who was feigning confusion at everyone else's reactions.

Remus was failing miserably at keeping a straight face. Lily covered her face with her hands, though what could be seen of it, was bright red from her nearly silent giggles. James didn't even attempt to hide his amusement, and was laughing uproariously. He would have likely fallen out of his seat, had he not stood up in time.

After a moment, Marcus' face took on an expression of mild embarrassment as he stated,

"I apologize for my poor choice of words at the breakfast table. I confess I've had few interactions of this sort, having been homeschooled and all."

Sirius joined in the laughter then. Regulus had cracked a smile at 'few interactions of this sort'. The prat was likely referring to associating with a blood traitor, a half-blood and a muggleborn without attempting to curse anyone.

After everyone, except Sirius, made some comment to assure Marcus he had not said anything wrong, Sirius jumped up to help Lily with the dishes, much to everyone's surprise. It was not uncommon for Remus or James to help clean up, but certainly never Sirius.

In the house that Remus and Peter shared with Sirius, the only cleaning contribution Sirius ever made came from whichever woman he had visiting at the time. Sirius resolved to lower himself to house elf status now though, so as to allow his brother more time to 'bond' with his friends.

* * *

><p>Regulus sat at the table with Potter and Lupin, feeling distinctly out of place. While everyone had been friendly enough, he couldn't help but feel unwelcomed. He had gotten the distinct impression that Lupin had actually sniffed him when he first walked in.<p>

He vaguely wondered if his heightened wolf senses could pick up on who he really was. He considered attempting legilimency to determine if he suspected anything, but did not want to draw unnecessary suspicion to himself, should the wolf notice his intrusion.

Potter on the other hand, was an open book. Regulus did not need to waste his efforts casting legilimency on him, as his emotions never left his face. Right now he remained suspicious of Marcus, but had warmed up to him considerably compared with when he first arrived.

After a couple of minutes of silence, Regulus decided to put his newly acquired excuse of awkwardness in public to use, and blurted out,

"So you mentioned that we are one short today, Peter was it?"

"Yes, making Saturday morning pancakes a tradition was actually his idea, it's a shame he couldn't be here," Lupin answered.

"I saw all of you all the other night, after Sirius was cursed. Peter was missing then as well, wasn't he? I can't remember seeing anyone else."

"Yes he was. Speaking of that, how did you know how to heal Sirius?" Potter asked clearly not having given his friend's absence near the amount of thought it should have warranted.

"Not that we aren't very grateful for it," Lupin added pointedly.

"I had considered taking an apprenticeship in healing once I graduated, and had studied some basics in healing prior to graduating. Honestly, I didn't expect to be able to help him, I just took a guess and it worked."

"Madam Pomfrey could not heal him, how did you manage using basic healing spells?" James asked suspiciously.

"Professor Dumbledore told me that Madam Pomfrey had not had the opportunity to look at him properly before I arrived, otherwise my assistance would not have even be required."

"Why were you even at Hogwarts to begin with?" James demanded.

"I was planning to speak with Dumbledore, though since there was some sort of meeting going on, I never did get to."

"What did you want to talk to Dumbledore about?" James continued his barrage of questions.

"That isn't actually any of our business, James."

Regulus was really glad Lupin said that so that 'Marcus' didn't have to.

Potter smirked, "I did notice you speaking with Rachel Candor before we left for Diagon Alley. Do you know her?"

"No, I had only just met her. I had actually gotten lost and she was kind enough to help me find the entrance hall," he said trying to sound slightly embarrassed.

"That's good. Otherwise Remus here probably wouldn't welcome your company anymore," he laughed.

"Please be quiet for once, James," Remus pleaded with crimson cheeks.

"Why? He doesn't know anyone. Why should he care that you fancy her?"

Regulus gave a non-committal hum, "It was really nice of you and your wife to have me over for breakfast," Regulus said in attempt to change the subject.

"It's no big deal, really. Lily always makes too much. We definitely had an open space with Peter being gone especially," Potter answered.

"I think you might be good for Sirius now too. As you may have heard already, his younger brother was recently killed by death eaters. I think Sirius' taking you under his wing may be beneficial in helping him to heal from his loss," Remus contributed.

"Yes, well I'm glad if I can help. Though I know it's impossible to truly replace one's brother," Regulus said with his practiced innocent tone.

James scoffed, "You wouldn't say that if you had known him."

Lupin stated, "James, I hardly think this is the time to discuss this. Sirius and Lily could come back at any moment."

At the same time, Regulus remarked, "You must have known him well to have developed such hatred towards him."

Before James could answer, Lupin again cut in, "None of us knew him well, and Sirius rarely spoke of him. It would be best to change the subject."

At that moment, Sirius and Lily returned to the table, effectively ending the current conversation. Regulus gave Sirius a look to indicate he was ready to leave. Sirius began rubbing his left forearm, as if to indicate he wanted to do the 'big reveal' now.

Regulus shook his head once, before standing,

"Well thank you all so much for having me over and feeding me. Lily, your pancakes were wonderful."

"You're welcome anytime," she replied kindly.

After saying goodbye to everyone else, the brothers made their leave.

As soon as they made their way outside of the wards around the house, they apparated back to Regulus' apartment. Regulus was just about to take the elevator when Sirius stopped him,

"Surely you aren't going to continue to make me take the stairs are you?"

Regulus rolled his eyes, before casting a series of complicated wand movements.

"I'm not sure if that was right, but there's only one way to find out," he grinned evilly.

Reluctantly Sirius stepped onto the elevator and looked around as if expecting the structure to implode. When nothing happened, Regulus stepped onto the elevator behind him and pushed the button to their desired floor.

Sirius remained jumpy for the most of the ascension. Regulus did not dare speak in case Sirius would resort to lashing out at him. Towards the end of the ride Sirius seemed to relax some, at least.

When the doors were opened again, the brothers made their way back to Regulus' apartment, which still seemed more like Evan's than his.

Regulus stated, "So, I don't know if you noticed, but that was a complete waste."

"No it wasn't! We ate delicious pancakes and you behaved civilly towards the marauders and Lily. Besides if it was a waste, it's your fault. Why didn't you want to have them prove their lack of dark marks?"

"Because I do not think any of them are the spies. Peter didn't even show up this morning. Lupin told me the whole Saturday morning pancake thing was his idea. I did not want to ask them to reveal their left forearms, because we would have had to tell them why. I think James would be only too happy to tell Peter I suspect him of being a death eater the first chance he gets. Maybe you should just pull up his sleeve in his sleep or something."

"I could if he actually stayed there anymore. He stays at his mother's house nearly every night."

"He could be staying at death eater safe houses-"

"I'll admit it's suspicious, but I refuse to believe Peter is actually a death eater without proof. You on the other hand surprised me. Where there hell did you find quotes from muggle literature?"

Regulus laughed, "Where did I find the quotes? I read them in the books."

"Books from where?"

"The library."

"The Black library does not-"

"At Hogwarts."

"What did your death eater buddies think of that? And why did you bother reading them at all?"

"They didn't know. And I read them because they were interesting."

"How… ironic."

Regulus smirked, "I just like to read. You're wasting your time if you look further into it than that."

Sirius shook his head, "Alright, whatever. I know you are disappointed Peter was a no-show, but I am pleased with how well everyone got along with you and vice versa."

"They got along with Marcus, not Regulus. Don't confuse the two, less you'll be disappointed."

"Whatever you say, Reg," he said ruffling his brothers hair just like he did when they were younger.

Also just like when they were younger, Regulus rolled his eyes in annoyance and immediately began trying to straighten his hair. He still hated it not being the length he was used to, and even more so hated how easily his 'new style' became disheveled in appearance.

* * *

><p><strong>Please let me know what you like or don't. Hopefully no one is too disappointed by Peter's lack of appearance. It's coming soon, I promise!<strong>


	24. Different in Books and Unforgivable

I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

><p>Regulus and Sirius had spent much of the afternoon in Evan's old apartment discussing the remaining horcruxes and their possible locations. Regulus told Sirius everything he knew and thought he knew about what and where the items could be. Almost everything.<p>

He omitted revealing one of the locations likely being in the secret room beneath the drawing room at Malfoy Manor. Opting instead to vaguely describe the room itself. He also excluded the enormous Malfoy family crest on the back wall of the room, as he felt mentioning that would have been counterproductive.

He felt slightly guilty for the omission, however he had no doubt Sirius would refuse to listen to any of his reasons for postponing its removal. Sirius would focus on that being the only known location and not rest until its removal was planned.

Even ignoring his concern for Narcissa, Regulus thought that to be a bad idea. The sudden disappearance of the horcrux would likely not go amiss. The last thing he wanted to do was draw attention to the fact that someone not only knew about the horcruxes, but was also attempting to collect them.

Unfortunately that same problem would likely present itself again with the other horcruxes. It would be infinitely better if they could remove the horcruxes that would be less likely missed first, such as the locket he had taken. If only they knew where they were.

After having gone over the same information incessantly, Sirius declared they would have to break into Lestrange Manor and search it. If the cup could not be found, they would steal the vault keys and go from there. Regulus believed that was easily said, but likely impossible to actually do.

Before Sirius could come up with any other reckless ideas for them, Regulus decided to change the subject,

"So, how long do you think it will take for Pettigrew to make an appearance?"

"Hard to say. I never really thought much of his absences before to be honest. I doubt he could have stayed gone more than a day or two without us worrying about him though."

"He used the excuse of taking care of his mother for missing 'pancakes at the Potters'. Did you ever check on him at his mother's house? Or would that be out of character?"

"Er- no. I didn't really ever try to find him. I just knew he would turn up again whenever he could," Sirius answered sheepishly.

"If he doesn't show up by tomorrow I think we should take a more proactive approach to find him."

"I don't see the harm in that. What do you suggest?"

"Undoubtedly his greatest contribution to Voldemort is in the information he can provide. If he were to be contacted of an upcoming Order meeting he would be sure to show up."

"IF he is a spy at all, you mean."

"Right, so how do you usually find out about the meetings?"

"If they are not announced at the end of the previous meeting, we are contacted by Dumbledore."

"Of course. Everything always goes through Dumbledore doesn't it?" Regulus asked rhetorically. "Do you think Dumbledore would be agreeable for arranging the meeting?"

"I don't see why not, if it can prove or disprove Peter's loyalties. Besides, if we suspect a spy then surely Dumbledore must as well. Do you think anyone else needs to be included in the meeting?"

Regulus thought about it for a moment before responding,

"I think we should have the Potter's and Lupin attend. Its possible Pettigrew will be in contact with them. It would look suspicious if he were going to a meeting they didn't know about. Is there anyone else he may be in contact with?"

"No, he only ever associates with anyone else if the marauders instigate it. Though, would you mind being the one to ask Dumbledore about the meeting?"

At Regulus' questioning look he continued,

"I think it best if I can be just as surprised as the rest of the marauders when we hear about the meeting time."

Regulus raised an eyebrow, "You will not be surprised there is a meeting, only about the time arranged for it. Why couldn't you just pretend to be surprised about both if that is your goal?"

"It's better than knowing about the meeting, and its time, isn't it? I hate lying to my friends!" Sirius whined, "If Peter is guilty… think of how angry they will be if they find out I was in on the setup and didn't tell them beforehand."

"Seriously? Whether you meet with Dumbledore or not, you would still know about the setup beforehand."

"They are going to be mad enough if they find out about you. Ergo, I should know as little as possible, so as to avoid adding more fuel to the fire."

Regulus shook his head, "So much for Gryffindor bravery."

"So we have an accord then," Sirius grinned. He then looked at his watch and stated, "I have the perfect way to make it up to you too. Mind if I take a shower here? I recommend you use the other bathroom to do the same, by the way."

"Whatever you are thinking, I want no part of it."

"I refuse to take no for an answer. Without my influence, Regulus Black became a bookworm, hermit that could put a Ravenclaw to shame. I refuse to allow the same fate for Marcus." He then pointed to the bathroom, "Shower. Now. We are going out."

* * *

><p>An hour and a half later, the brothers were leaving a clothing store in Knightsbridge of Sirius' recommendation. After seeing the dismal selection of muggle clothing that Regulus owned, he had insisted they go 'speed shopping' before their night out.<p>

Regulus was still undecided whether he would actually participate in whatever Sirius had planned for the evening. Still, he would not dare deny his need to acquire new clothing either. He undoubtedly needed them.

His parents, and the death eaters alike disapproved of muggle clothing. Therefore, he had only ever owned a very small selection of it. Now that he was living in a muggle apartment in central London, and attempting to blend in, he had no choice but to conform to certain muggle practices. Which included dressing like them.

While he knew he would not be living by the lavish and excessive standards he had been brought up with, he was fully aware that his way of life had been exactly that: lavish and excessive. The money he had saved from his trust account would provide him with enough gold to live on with at least an equal standard to most. Which fortunately meant he could easily afford decent clothes.

Regulus was now wearing a wool coat over a dark gray sweater and a pair of jeans by some designer that Sirius swore by. While he was not accustomed to shopping for muggle clothing, he had always been very observant. As such, he was much better able to blend into the muggle world than most, even without Sirius' help.

While they were there, he had also bought several other items of clothing, all of which were high quality and tasteful. Upon leaving the store, the brothers walked into an alley to allow him to discreetly shrink the bag and put it into his pocket. Once he was finished he stated,

"I'm not going to a strip club if that's what you have planned."

Sirius smirked, "It's not. I am actually supposed to be meeting someone at a bar not far from here. I want you to come with us."

Regulus stared at him, "why would I want to tagalong with you on a date?"

"I thought you might want to see if the real life muggles are like the ones you've read about," Sirius answered slyly.

"I've been to a bar before. A muggle one even." Not that he remembered much of it. His memory of the event was hazy to say the least.

"Really? That's surprising, so you don't want to go?" Sirius asked obviously disappointed.

"Why would I? Who are you even meeting?"

"You wouldn't know her, she's a muggle. But it isn't like you have anything better to do. Come with us."

Regulus masked his displeasure. While he did not wish to kill muggles, and had even grown to be mostly accepting of muggleborns, that was about as far as his tolerance went. History was littered with muggles learning of the wizarding world and doing all they could to stamp out its existence. It was unlikely they could ever knowingly live alongside wizards and be peaceful. Given the choice between wizards and muggles, Regulus would choose his own kind.

"Impress her with your fancy magic tricks, did you?" he asked in a neutral tone as the pair made their way down the street.

"No, I have too much of my own charm to ever have to resort to that."

"Not enough to get her to meet you someplace besides a bar though apparently."

"The location was my idea, thank you very much."

Regulus shook his head, "I wouldn't brag about that if I were you."

Sirius smacked him on the back of the head in response. Regulus retaliated by shoving him, all the while they continued walking towards the bar Sirius had indicated.

Along the way they passed a bookstore which Regulus insisted they stop in. After browsing the book selection, 'Marcus' made several recommendations of his favorites for Sirius to read, which the latter found to be extremely amusing.

Upon making his own selections, Regulus let Sirius buy the books since he was more comfortable with muggle money. He had gotten an inexplicit feeling as if they were being watched. He thought it likely he was just being paranoid, but did not want to arouse suspicions by taking longer than expressly necessary to check out just in case.

After leaving the store they stopped to add their new shrunken purchases to their pockets, and then continued on their way to their destination. They arrived right on time to meet Sirius' friend, though Regulus had managed to forget her name immediately after being introduced.

Shortly after their introduction, Sirius had disappeared into the crowd with his muggle, amidst a sea of muggles. The way some of them were dancing did little to disprove his family's theory that muggles were as uncouth as animals.

Regulus did his best to cover his distaste with his current company, but it was proving difficult. Sirius may have been joking, but there was little doubt that these muggles were in fact, much different from most of the muggles he had read about. As such, he would certainly rather be at home reading about those muggles than remain here, witnessing what anyone with a speck of dignity would only partake in behind closed doors.

He had caught sight of Sirius looking over at him twice, as if to ensure he was still there. Though based on how he and his muggle were dancing, Regulus thought he had likely forgotten about him by now. He decided that finishing his drink and then leaving was more than acceptable on his part, given the circumstances. He was surprised therefore, when he was approached by a fairly nondescript black haired girl around his age.

"You look like you would rather be anywhere but here," she said by way of greeting.

Regulus would be unsurprised if in the same situation, Sirius would have taken that as an innuendo, following up with an offer to go shag somewhere. Even despite her unremarkable features. Yet if there was ever any doubt he was nothing like Sirius, tonight proved it. Instead he answered,

"Yeah, this isn't really my kind of place."

She laughed, merrily. There was something familiar about her laugh, though he was fairly certain he had never seen her before.

"To that, I have no doubt. So, where is your girlfriend tonight?" she asked casually.

"I would be with her if I had one, and certainly not here," he answered curtly.

She nodded absently, "I noticed your friend left you nearly as soon as you walked in the door."

He thought it strange that with all of the people crammed into the bar that she would have noticed that. Though he was too eager to get away from her so that he could leave, to care enough to ask about it.

"Yes, I don't think he will notice if I make an early night of it, do you?"

The band took that moment to begin playing a slow song.

"You aren't even going to dance with me first?"

He looked at her reluctantly, and she burst out laughing,

"Whatever disease you think I have, I promise you will not catch by dancing with me."

Regulus was again struck by how familiar her laugh was. Her eyes were brown and like the rest of her, unremarkable. Though there seemed to be an underlying mischief in them somehow. The girl was also more confident and forward than he would have expected. Of course for all he knew all muggles acted in this way.

Half-heartedly he offered his hand and began to dance with her. To be more exact, they followed everyone else's dance pattern which consisted of little more than slowly stepping back and forth in a somewhat circular fashion. He did notice that his partner had an obvious grace to her movements, which seemed to imply she may have been taught to dance properly in the past.

As the dance ended, she pulled him towards her as if to give him a hug, which he found to be extremely awkward. Even more so when she inhaled deeply as if smelling him. When she pulled away, she had an indecipherable look on her face.

"Did you just smell me?" he couldn't help but ask. What was with people sniffing him lately?

"Yes," she answered completely unabashed, "everyone has a scent I associate with them. Yours is different than I expected."

"Alright… how so?" he indulged her oddities though he was unsure why.

"You struck me as someone who would have their own distinct scent."

At Regulus' look, she quickly added, "In a pleasant sort of way. And while it is pleasant, your scent is a bit lacking in distinct, as if a mild fragrance was… is that sweater new?"

"Yeah, I bought it just before coming here… why?"

She smiled broadly, but whatever craziness she was about to speak was interrupted by Sirius.

"Sorry to disturb you, but we got to go," he said urgently as he grabbed Regulus' arm and pulled him away from her. Regulus gave her a vague wave as he followed Sirius. Whether she responded to it or not he did not know, as he didn't bother to look back at her.

After they brothers stepped outside of the bar, Regulus asked,

"What was that about?"

"Death eater attack in Godric's Hollow, James contacted me," Sirius answered urgently before pulling Regulus into an alley and apparating them to the Leaky Cauldron.

Regulus would have reminded Sirius that he was not an Order member, but it was obvious Sirius was a bit distraught from worry for his friends. Regulus instead obediently followed Sirius to the fireplace where he used a coded address, which took them directly to James and Lily's house.

Sirius and James were already halfway out of the door when Regulus arrived. Lily was standing near the fireplace with her wand drawn, but only nodded to him when she saw him and said,

"James asked me to stay here until more Order members arrive. If the death eaters are still around, you'll likely be outnumbered until they show up," she said with a good effort not to sound annoyed at staying behind.

Regulus nodded in acknowledgement and made his way to follow Sirius out the front door. He was halfway across the room when he stopped and turned back to her,

"I hope you won't take this the wrong way, but as the floo network is still working for the moment, perhaps you should consider leaving. -"

"I am not useless with a wand!" she refuted indignantly. "I am perfectly capable-"

"I didn't say you weren't, nor am I trying to upset you, but I think you underestimate the perverse satisfaction some of the death eaters would get from harming you and your baby. You aren't just an Order member, but also muggleborn, and carrying the child of a blood traitor. It's worth thinking about," Regulus said just before stepping out of the front door.

* * *

><p>Sirius and James ran up Church Street to where the dark mark hung ominously in the sky. Sirius expected the death eaters to be wreaking havoc indiscriminately on the cottages of wizards and muggles, alike.<p>

He was therefore surprised when he only saw five death eaters, all of which seemed to be waiting for them. Aside from the apparent murder of whomever lived in the house below the dark mark, very little destruction had actually been done. Sirius thought that to be extremely odd. The death eaters generally cared nothing about subtlety or the statute of secrecy.

Ignoring the oddity of the situation, he sent a curse at the nearest death eater. He heard James fire off his own spell and vaguely heard footsteps behind which he assumed would belong to Regulus.

Sirius immediately had the attention of three of the five death eaters, however Regulus quickly sent a curse at the largest of the three, drawing his attention away from Sirius. Even as Sirius battled his two death eaters, it was obvious that Regulus was trying to lure his death eater away from everyone else. Sirius thought that to be interesting, as death eaters generally preferred to stick close together in battle. Sirius expected Regulus would have been in the habit of doing the same.

* * *

><p>The death eater Regulus was dueling need not have bothered with a mask. The massive breadth of his body clearly announced his identity as Thorfinn Rowle.<p>

The brute had always been far more cruel than careful in battle. As such, he had nearly killed his fellow death eaters by accident, on more than one occasion. For this reason, Regulus thought it prudent to lure him away from everyone else.

Unfortunately Rowle did have good instincts when it came to dueling. Despite his size he was fairly quick on his feet. He also had an unfortunate tendency to rely too much on the Avada Kadavra curse for Regulus' liking. Subsequently, he was having to dodge a constant barrage of killing curses aimed in his direction.

Rowle was allowing Regulus to direct their battle into the cemetery. Regulus thought the location would serve the dual purpose of preventing a rogue killing curse from hitting anyone else, as well as giving Regulus a means to block them. Like all cemeteries, this one was filled with headstones and stone statues.

In another life, Regulus would have already defeated Rowle in a duel. His reliance on the killing curse was causing him to be slightly more measured before casting, as he had to summon up enough hate for the spell to work properly.

However, since 'Marcus' showed up with Sirius and the 'golden child of light,' Regulus thought it best to behave like an Order member as much as possible. Therefore instead of relying on instinct, he was having to think before casting, so as to avoid using anything obviously 'dark'.

Upon entering the cemetery properly, Regulus blocked yet another killing curse using a statue of an angel. Deciding he was far enough from the others, he fell back on instinct and began dueling properly. He then had his opponent subdued in minutes.

He quickly bound and disarmed the death eater, before unmasking him and casting,

"Innervate."

Thorfinn Rowle blinked confusedly for a few moments before registering 'Marcus' presence.

After a few failed attempts of asking the death eater questions about their mission, Regulus gave up. It seemed the spells he had cast were slightly more powerful than he intended. Possibly due to having his dark mark, and therefore Voldemort's drain on his magic, removed. He would certainly need to work on that in the future. However, in this case, Rowle was just a bit concussed.

Since no backup had arrived, Regulus thought it likely there was other small battles or perhaps a bigger battle elsewhere, preventing any Order members to come help here. He was just about to go help the others when he noticed their locations. The death eaters they were battling had drawn them away from Godric's Hollow.

Knowing the dark lord cared nothing about preserving innocent lives or the statute of secrecy, Regulus decided to find out what the mission had been.

He cast, 'legilimens,' on the still befuddled Rowle, and was able to procure the information of the mission. Thoroughly disgusted with what he saw, he quickly 'obliviated' Rowle, before pocketing the death eater's mask. He then took off in a dead sprint back to the Potter's home.

It had been anticipated that Lily would stay in the home until more Order members arrived. Other battles had been arranged to ensure no back-up would come. She was the target.

Regulus was tempted to cast a patronus to tell James and Sirius to get back to the house, but decided against it. They were farther away than he was. It would also take him longer to get there if he stopped to send the message. A death eater could also have recognized his patronus form, though that wasn't a top concern at the moment.

When he reached the cottage, he approached the entrance cautiously and observed what he could from the window while catching his breath. Lily was disarmed and bound. Four death eaters surrounded her.

Regulus decided to go through with the best idea he could come up with at the moment, which was much more rash than he would have liked.

He quickly removed Rowle's mask from his pocket before transfiguring his new coat into black wizarding robes. He then changed his hair to very short and dark brown, before putting on Rowle's mask.

He had nearly perfected Rodolphus Lestrange's voice in the past. While Lestrange was not ideal for this, it was the only senior death eater Regulus could passably imitate. He pushed the door open forcefully and stormed the room.

"What is taking so long?" he demanded in his best impersonation of Rodolphus' voice.

The gathered death eaters immediately tensed. One of them, Wilkes by the sound of it, answered,

"Black came to aid Potter as expected. We were just about to enter the home when someone else came outside. We did not recognize him. We thought it best to wait a few minutes before entering, in case others were coming."

"All of you are dismissed, except Snape."

With that, three death eaters nodded before removing port keys from their cloaks and leaving immediately.

Lily's face was full of fury as she looked at the death eater that had been identified as Snape.

Turning to him, 'Rodolphus' stated, "There has been a change of plans. You are to leave here and report that you were unable to perform the ritual in a timely manner. I suspect you will be punished."

It was a shame Regulus was best at imitating Rodolphus. No death eater would dare question any of the other senior death eaters except for him. He was generally reasonable enough to indulge occasional questions without mercilessly cursing everyone. He was easily the 'softest' of the senior members, which only caused further resentment towards him from Bellatrix.

Snape nodded hesitantly before asking, "What is the change in plan? It was agreed upon that only the child would be lost. Evans was to be spared as a reminder-"

It was obvious from Lily's expression she did not appreciate his sentiments any more than any other expecting mother would.

"You do yourself no favors when you speak so candidly, even by muggle standards," he said indicating Lily. "Furthermore, I did not hold you back to entertain your blubbering concerns over a filthy mudblood. Though I do feel it prudent to remind you that anyone else of my status would have punished you without hesitation for your questions. Now do as I said."

Snape was about to leave, but as if he was unable not to, he looked one last time at Lily. The obvious disgust and anger in her expression seemed to have broken any sense of self-preservation he possessed.

He shook his head, "I wasn't going-" he began before 'Rodolphus' interrupted. Not even he would have allowed that,

"You weren't going to what?" he demanded. "You weren't going to go through with the mission assigned to you by the dark lord himself? A mission you yourself requested? Crucio."

As Snape convulsed and screamed in the floor, Regulus fought his desire to vomit. He held his spell only long enough to be passably believable before ending it. In a shaky voice he commanded,

"You will practice occlumency and never speak of this again. To anyone. If you do, what you just experienced will feel like mere child's play to what awaits you. Do you understand?"

Snape was shaking from head to toe but gave an obvious nod of his head.

"Good. Now get out of my sight."

Snape shakily pulled out his port key and left.

Had he not just cast his first ever unforgiveable curse, Regulus would have been quite pleased with his impersonation skills. Instead all he wanted was fresh air, and to be alone. He took a tentative step towards the exit when Lily burst out,

"Why did you stop them?"

"Children are meant to be protected, certainly not made an example of and murdered needlessly before they are even born."

He continued walking towards the door. However, as if unable to accept her good fortune and move on, Lily asked,

"But why did you stop them?"

"Even death eaters have their own varying degrees of honor. Though if you mention this to anyone I will be happy to prove otherwise," he answered threateningly.

Regulus then stepped outside and was grateful when no one immediately tried to kill him. Though apparently some of his recent actions had been observed by a third party. A masked death eater grabbed his arm roughly before apparating away with him.

Upon landing in a seemingly open meadow, Regulus promptly fell to his knees and emptied the contents of his stomach. After a few moments, he looked up to find Evan staring at him with an indecipherable look.

"It seems leaving the death eaters has made you a bit dark," he stated ironically.

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><p>All feedback is appreciated. Thanks for reading!<p> 


	25. Talk with Evan and Back to Hogwarts

**I don't own Harry Potter.**

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><p>Sirius and James' battles had been continuously drifting them farther down Church Street. Earlier on in their battle the smallest, and obviously poorest duelist amongst them had port keyed away. Sirius vaguely recognized that he must've been the one to cast the anti-apparition wards, as the air had shifted when he left.<p>

Sirius recognized that the remaining three death eaters were trying to create a formation that would somewhat surround him and James. Though as he had no way of communicating that, without drawing unwanted attention, he attempted to separate himself from James instead.

Sirius managed to strike one of their opponents with a particularly strong 'reducto,' spell, effectively shattering his wand arm, and causing him to attempt an escape via port key. The other death eater he was battling shot a curse at Sirius which he was forced to block, and subsequently allowed the injured death eater to escape.

A few moments later, Sirius heard James yell out, after being hit by a spell Sirius did not recognize. James was sprawled on the ground and bleeding, though it was difficult to tell where the source of the blood was coming from. Sirius cast a shield around him, before diving to grab James' arm and disapparating both of them away.

Sirius hated retreating from a battle, but as it was obvious James could not continue, it was worth leaving to prevent further damage being done to him. Sirius worried that apparition could exacerbate James' injuries, but as it was the fastest method to get away, it was their best option.

Sirius reappeared in front of the Potter's home and quickly helped James inside. Lily who was already in near tears, let them fall freely upon seeing her husband's bloodied torso, visible through his freshly sliced clothing.

Upon removing his shirt, two large gashes were revealed on James' stomach. Lily immediately began casting the healing spells that she knew, to no avail. The wounds would heal for a few moments before ripping open again only moments later.

Sirius wasted no time in pulling out a chocolate frog card, and activating the already made port key. Moments later the three of them landed in the Hogwarts infirmary.

Judging by the number of Order members receiving treatment, it appeared their battle had not been the only one of the evening. Sirius did not know what had happened to Regulus. He hadn't see him since his duel had entered the cemetery.

Sirius caught the attention of nearly everyone present, trying to get someone to help James. Though with how busy the hospital wing was, and how frantically Madam Pomfrey and her apprentices were already working, it seemed it would be quite some time before any help could be spared for James.

'Damnit' he thought, 'where is Regulus?' Equally concerned for his brother as he was hopeful that Regulus could arrive quickly and help James, Sirius sent him a patronus.

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><p>Regulus remained on his knees in the grass of the meadow, unmoving and silent. After a moment, Evan took it upon himself to vanish the vomit before conjuring a glass of water, and handing it to Regulus.<p>

Regulus took the glass and nodded, before moving to a more comfortable sitting position. He took small sips of the water but remained silent.

Eventually he looked up to find Evan, who had his back to him looking out over the valley that expanded below them. As if he could feel Regulus looking at him, he turned back around to face him.

"Where are we?" Regulus asked.

"North Downs. You can see the lights from my family's estate if you look there," he pointed into the distance but Regulus didn't bother trying to look.

Noticing his lack of enthusiasm Evan commented, "I think it's a good thing you never cast an unforgivable before now, considering your reaction."

"Was your reaction better?" Regulus asked, feeling stupid. He was sure it was, Evan could witness some of the most nauseating acts of violence and appear entirely unaffected.

"Not really. My father brought me here though. He said that if I couldn't get over my feelings of guilt by the end of the day, I might as well jump because I would never make it as a death eater."

Regulus grimaced, "Sounds just like him. Is that why you brought me here?"

Evan smirked, "As you are not a death eater, I see no reason for such extreme measures. I actually just thought the fresh air might do you some good, though it is freezing."

Regulus regained his silent demeanor, so Evan continued,

"I could give you the rest of my father's lecture if you'd like. It's about how each time you cast an unforgivable, it becomes easier than the last. It also helps when you embrace the reality that only the purebloods who recognize their place in society do not deserve punishment... The speech is a bit long winded though and likely wouldn't do you a lot of good given the circumstances."

Even in his mild state of shock, Regulus recognized Evan must have been worried about him. He was never this talkative. As Regulus continued his relative silence, Evan continued to chatter away,

"As for Snape, I see no reason for you to feel guilty about what happened. He has done far worse things than torture someone…he was supposedly going to kill a baby tonight even. Besides that, its Snape… who hasn't wanted to crucio him at least once?"

At Regulus' expression he smirked, "It's too soon to joke about I suppose. I was mostly trying to see if you were even listening."

Regulus nodded once, "Definitely too soon."

Evan looked immensely relieved to be able to end his monologue.

"Yes, well as zoned out as you have been, I've felt like I've been talking to myself. It was worth checking."

"Don't you have to report back or something?"

"Normally yes. Though today my only task was to stalk Snape. All day. Our dear cousin Bellatrix has become distrustful of him once again. At any rate, I am not to disturb her with a report until tomorrow."

"Why would she choose you for that and not a new recruit?"

"We can't all have the luxury of being her favorite cousin, you know."

"I hear there's an opening for the position," Regulus answered absently. "Though now that I think about it, I have done stuff like that for her before. It sounds like you're the new favorite already."

"Ah, well seeing as the only competition was you're brother, I'll try not to let the honor go to my head."

"Right. So how did you know it was me?"

"The way in which you carry yourself is very distinct, you might want to work on that. You also arrived with Sirius. You then came back from your battle in a hurry, after seemingly managing to find out the plan of the mission somehow. Either by legilimency or by recognizing the strategy of drawing the opponents away from the real target. Few would have been able to do either. You then actually came up with some semblance of a plan before barging in- though it was still more reckless than your usual style- I think Sirius is a bad influence on you. I've also heard your impression of Rodolphus a thousand times. It's not nearly as convincing as you think it is, by the way."

Regulus smirked, "It's been a while since I practiced it, but I'll keep that in mind."

"Yes, after today I strongly recommend you never use it again. I don't suspect Rodolphus or Snape will be pleased with you, should they find out what you did."

"If I am found out, they will be the least of my worries."

"No argument there. Have you given anymore thought to leaving the country?" Evan asked hopefully.

"No, but maybe I should. If I can't even keep from using an unforgivable curse, then I'm pretty useless. I mean, could I have drawn any more attention to myself?"

"You didn't have a choice once you made your decision to imitate Rodolphus. Snape would have been too suspicious to leave if you had allowed his sniveling to continue for much longer. Besides, I suspect you knew the incident would be investigated by the dark lord afterwards before your intervention, yet you did it anyway."

"Yes, of course I knew, but I couldn't just stand by and do nothing. I did enough of that when I was still a death eater. Obviously I should have cast something besides crucio-"

"No, nothing else would have been believable. Snape is perceptive enough that he would have picked up on the inconsistency if you had used something weaker. I actually can understand your use of the curse, since you wanted to be believable, better than why you felt the need to rescue Evans in the first place. I mean Snape has to take whatever he can get, but surely your standards have not sunk so far as to be attracted to a married, impregnated woman, not even mentioning her blood status."

Regulus laughed, "Since when do you not mention blood status?"

"I thought you might be offended if I called her a 'mudblood' since you are practically a blood traitor now."

"Ouch. To be honest I don't understand why people get so torn up over either term. I mean if I lashed out every time someone commented on my parents being second cousins…" he trailed off as Evan attempted to hide a smile. He had commented on that more times than he could count.

"They're just names. But that's irrelevant. I didn't intercede on behalf of Evans, she was meant to be spared from what I gathered anyway. They were going to kill her baby… A baby. You can't deny that is sick."

"Yes well, disquiet amongst the death eaters is what instigated the attack in Godric's Hollow. Though to be honest, what happened there was far from the biggest attack tonight. I suspect Edgar Bones and his family are dead by now."

As Regulus did not know the Bones family well, the unrest amongst death eaters piqued his interest more, "What sort of disquiet?"

"Well, you remember how Snape was in school, always obsessed with Evans. A lot of the other death eaters remember that too, and questioned his loyalty to the dark lord because of it. Add to it, the fact that his father was a muggle. By the dark lord's usual standards- Snape should be killed. If not for his muggle parentage, then at least for his obvious affections towards a muggleborn.

"Anyway, that very girl that Snape fawned over in school has since married into a prominent pureblood family. She and her husband are now well-known members of the Order of the Phoenix. The fact that she is still alive leads many of the death eaters to be displeased to say the least. They believe the Potters have exceeded their bloodlines usefulness and should all be killed.

"The original plan was to kill both James and Lily Potter. Snape somehow managed to convince the dark lord that it would be more meaningful to perform a ritual that would spare her, but kill the child and leave her barren.

"As James Potter is an only child, the Potter bloodline would be left to die out if Potter had been killed tonight. If he survived, and the ritual was successful, then he would have been forced to take up with another woman, if he wished to continue the Potter's bloodline. Ideally a woman with better blood status, less the same fate would likely be inflicted again.

"Snape also convinced the dark lord that Lily Potter's survival would serve as a reminder of what happens when a pureblood marries beneath their station. They will be unable to produce an heir- If for no other reason than because the dark lord will ensure they can't, I suppose. How Snape managed to persuade him that this was a better plan than just killing James and Lily both, without revealing his obvious feelings for her is rather impressive. I'll give him that," Evan finished.

"Yes, well Dumbledore would attribute that to the dark lord's inability to love, I'm sure. He mentioned that when he told me about…the dark lord's family."

Regulus considered telling Evan of Voldemort's own 'dirty blood'. He stopped himself though when he remembered Evan had specifically asked him not to tell him the details of what had happened prior to helping him plan his 'murder'. Evan likely already knew Regulus had information that would cause him to question his position in the death eaters, yet he did not want Regulus to divulge it. He didn't want to know.

Regulus did not want to give Evan even more knowledge that could get him killed if discovered. He was assuredly hiding more information from the dark lord than any other death eater already. Instead Regulus asked,

"Do you think Snape was going to go through with the ritual?"

"No idea, but if he actually thought that even pretending to sacrifice her baby in order to spare Lily Evans would endear him to her… well, I suppose that makes him only slightly more pathetic than I originally thought."

Regulus shook his head, "Any idea where Rodolphus actually was tonight? It's going to be pretty obvious something was amiss when everyone gives different reports."

"It will be obvious if it is closely looked at. I don't actually think the dark lord cares about the Potter's particularly. He agreed to deal with them only to appease those death eaters most angry over their continued existence. So long as the other attacks tonight were successful, the dark lord likely won't look into the botched attack at the Potter's too closely, seeing as he did not have much investment in it. I believe Rodolphus went to the Bones' house tonight, but I'm not for sure. Perhaps you can ask him next time you meet him in battle, seeing as you are in the Order now."

Regulus recoiled at the statement, "I'm not. I was with Sirius when Potter contacted him. I only went because of Sirius."

"You might as well join. It's obvious you've changed sides in the war. I don't think I've been properly introduced to your new alias, by the way."

Regulus smirked, "Marcus Atilius. It was enough trouble leaving the death eaters, I've no intention of joining another dictatorship right now."

"Still, it's obvious you didn't just want to escape the dark lord when you 'died'. You wanted to join the fight against him," Evan said with a good attempt at not sounding bitter.

"He's wrong, Evan. I know you know that."

"Regardless of how you feel about it, the opposition against him is nearly obsolete. What reason could you have not to leave the country and live somewhere else? You could forget all about the war if you wanted to. I'll come visit you and Rachel when I go on holiday."

"Rachel? Rachel and I broke up over six months ago. Why would you even mention her?"

"I saw her earlier today when I was following Snape. She was visiting your gravesite. She held her wand in my face rather threateningly and told me I should have helped you, as you would have helped me. It was quite charming really."

Regulus felt sick at the thought of Rachel mourning over his death, especially since he was still alive. Though when they went to Diagon Alley together she seemed to be doing well enough.

"I spoke to her, as Marcus, of course. She seemed fine then. Slightly sad and… perhaps a bit more rebellious maybe, but-"

Evan scoffed, "Do you really think she is only slightly sad?"

"I don't know. My 'death' didn't bring any significant changes to her life. We broke up in June, as we knew we would. Our relationship had always been fated to end. I only saw her on two occasions since the breakup before I 'died', both of which were in a hospital. She could be dating someone else by now for all I know."

"Has it occurred to you that your relationship was only fated to end because of who you were? As you can no longer be known as Regulus Black, the two of you could actually be together-if it's what you both wanted."

"She shouldn't be with me," Regulus answered firmly.

Evan continued to look at him expectantly. Regulus ran his hand through his too short hair and sighed,

"I should have stood up to my family on her behalf before. If I had, we could have been together. She is a pureblood, after all. My parents wouldn't have approved of her, but they would have gotten over it. If I would have threatened to leave the family… they would have had no choice but to accept it. Their only other option was Sirius, so how couldn't they?"

"Maybe… though I wouldn't put it past your parents to have disinherited you out of spite."

"It should have been worth it to me though, shouldn't it? Yet I chose my family's happiness over hers. Even when I walked away from the death eaters it wasn't for her. It was because of family…Sirius of all people. I do love her… but not enough to ever put her first it seems. She deserves someone that would not hesitate to do that, despite the cost. I never did. The best thing I can do for her is stay 'dead'."

"Hmm… I won't pretend to have advice for you. Except that if you plan to stay in the country, it is likely you will be found out eventually. What then? Do you really want to risk her finding out from someone else that you are still alive?"

"Of course I don't want that to happen. I just-" he shook his head. It would be awful for her to find out from someone else and he knew it. He just didn't know if he could come up with the right words to tell her.

"Perhaps you should just tell her. It's possible she will hate you enough on your own merits, if that is your goal," he smirked.

No longer wishing to discuss Rachel, but also not knowing when he would be able to talk to Evan again, Regulus changed the subject abruptly,

"She was right, you know. I would help you if you ever wanted out of the death eaters."

Evan scowled, "Not everyone regrets the side they chose."

"I suppose not, but keep it in mind. Just in case."

Regulus considered broaching the subject of the horcruxes, but couldn't really think of a way of asking if Voldemort had given his family any cursed items to keep safe without arousing suspicion. It was obvious Evan was not interested in actively trying to bring down Voldemort at the moment, even despite the anger he had towards him for keeping his father in Azkaban for as long as he did.

Regulus was determined though that the next horcrux he found he would not destroy right away if he could help it. He would save it for as long as he could, just in case Evan ever changed his mind and wanted a way out of the death eaters.

"So how is your father recovering?"

"He's improving gradually. I catch him completely zoned out, staring at some wall or random inanimate object sometimes… but it is occurring less often all of the time. I suspect he will be back to terrorizing muggles in no time."

A few minutes later, a silver patronus in the form of a large dog spoke in Sirius' voice.

"Come to Hogwarts infirmary."

Evan smirked, "I've never known Sirius to be so… straight to the point."

"Yes, I suspect only James Potter's health could elicit such precision," Regulus added wryly. He couldn't help but feel annoyed. Obviously they had managed to get to the infirmary whatever his injuries were. Regulus didn't know when he would get to talk to Evan again. He also cared little to nothing about Potter's welfare.

"Speaking of Gryffindors, have you seen any amongst the death eaters lately?"

Evan looked surprised at that, "No, I was of the impression they were incorruptible. However I do know there is a spy in the Order. That's how Snape and the others were able to break through the protections at the Potter's so quickly. They are trusting little things, aren't they? Telling their supposed friends of the exact protections on their house. That's naivety at its best."

"You told me the exact protections of your apartment."

Evan chuckled, "Yes, but you're incorruptible when it comes to my wellbeing."

Regulus rolled his eyes and smirked, "Sounds like naivety at its best to me," before pulling out a galleon and creating a port key to take him to Hogwarts' infirmary.

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><p>He quickly found Sirius, who immediately began complaining about how long it had taken him to get there, and that if James bled to death because of his apathy then he would never be forgiven and who knows what else… Regulus stopped listening almost immediately.<p>

It really was a wonder how anyone in the Order had survived this long in the war when they so clearly treated ever splinter like a splinch. Regulus would admit that Potter was exceptionally pale, but the idea that he could bleed to death… in an infirmary… with two people standing beside him, was laughable.

Had Sirius never heard of a blood replenishing potion? Lily likely would have had more wits about her had she not had such a traumatizing ordeal already. Regulus interrupted Sirius' tantrum and calmly asked him to retrieve a vial of blood replenishing, as well as several other potions from the supply cupboard.

In the meantime, Regulus diagnosed the spell used and cast the counter curse to prevent the wounds from continuing to open. By the time he was finished, Sirius had returned. Regulus made a concoction of the potions in a bottle and instructed Sirius to force feed the bottle to Potter, not having the patience or desire to do it himself.

Just as he was finishing the concoction, an apprentice came to check on Potter, though nothing else was needed for him by then.

Dumbledore came around a few minutes later to check on his favorite former student and obtained a report of what had happened in Godric's Hollow, before gravely addressing the room at large.

"Good evening, everyone. As it appears all of our number are in stable condition at the moment, I wanted to take the time to fill you in on the events of the past evening. It is with great sadness I inform you that Edgar Bones' house was attacked by deatheaters. He, his wife and two small children were all killed."

A collective breath seemed to have been taken by the room at large before cries of outrage rang out. Regulus wished he could be anywhere but amidst his current company. He had no doubt if his identity were found out at least one of them would cast the killing curse at him, regardless of their supposed morals against it. Still, he couldn't help but wish Pettigrew was there, in spite of himself.

After Dumbledore finished his speech recounting all of the different attacks of the evening, Regulus turned back to those surrounding Potter's bed. Remus Lupin had come in at some point during the headmaster's speech. Judging by his appearance, he had been summoned to assist at one of the other attacks that evening.

In as innocent of a tone that Regulus could muster he addressed the group, "Has anyone seen Peter? If he was still with his mother, he won't know James was injured. Perhaps we should contact him and let him know what has happened."

Sirius did his best to hide a smile as Lupin responded,

"That's a good point. He will want to know about James. About the other attacks as well," he then drew his wand and cast his patronus presumably to summon Pettigrew.

As Sirius and Lily exchanged stories with Remus, Regulus took the opportunity to look around the room. He knew he needed to tell Rachel the truth. Though somehow distracting her from a room full of injured Order members did not seem like the right time. Unfortunately he never saw her when she wasn't working.

Evan had seen her alone at the cemetery, but whether she would bother returning there anytime soon was unknown. That somehow did not seem like an appropriate place to meet anyway. Not so much because of his fake burial site, but out of respect for her father actually being buried in the same cemetery. He would have to think of a way to get her alone, and when she wasn't working/apprenticing, or at the cemetery.

He knew vaguely where her mother lived, but he didn't know whether Rachel still lived with her or if she had moved out by now. Not to mention if he did manage to find her home, 'Marcus' randomly showing up at her house would be almost as alarming as an undisguised Regulus, seeing as he was supposed to be dead.

He supposed he could just ask her to meet somewhere to talk. Though whether she would actually agree to meet him was questionable. She possibly did not trust him enough for one thing.

If not for that, she could be dating someone else, and would not want to be alone with him because of it.

There were dozens of other reasons for her not to agree to meet with him alone. Too many to count. He decided it likely best to wait for the right opportunity to present itself, and hope for the best in the meantime. He was determined now that he would tell her, rather than risk her finding out some other way.

Given the current circumstances though, that conversation was unlikely to occur tonight.

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><p>Please let me know your thoughts! Thanks for reading!<p> 


	26. Ousting of a Rat and Talk with Crouch

**I don't own Harry Potter...**

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><p>Sirius had just finished describing his and James' battle with the death eaters, to an attentive Lily and Remus. Regulus was sitting nearby, but had obviously been more interested in observing the other people in the infirmary, likely in search of Pettigrew, to have actually been listening to him.<p>

James was sitting up rather gingerly in his hospital bed. When asked, he had said he was not in very much pain now, since he had been given potions to manage it. Assuming he was not in pain then, Sirius did not know what the cause for his obvious sullenness was. While he appeared to be listening to their conversation, he had remained far more quiet than his usual.

Sirius was unsure if his mood was more to do with the attacks, or if something more was bothering him. He could not help but notice James looking at Marcus much more often than strictly necessary. If Regulus noticed the attention at all, he had not commented on it.

After Sirius finished his tale, Lily told what had happened to her once James, Sirius and Marcus had left. Remus was just about to take his turn to tell of his ordeal, when James decided to end his self-imposed silence and demanded,

"What about you Marcus?" Regulus looked up in surprise, obviously having paid very little attention to what anyone else had said. "What happened to you once your duel went into the cemetery?"

"Oh, it took a long time. That death eater was huge, but much quicker on his feet that you would expect by looking at him. He didn't seem to know many spells besides the killing curse though. We battled for quite a while. I managed to use some of the headstones and statues in the cemetery to block spells, which was helpful. Though, eventually my opponent seemed to notice that the other death eaters had left the scene and he disapparated then as well.

"Since all was quiet, I assumed that was a good sign and spent some time cleaning up the majority of the destruction we had caused. I was very nearly finished when I received Sirius' summons and came here," he stated rather briefly in comparison to everyone else's story.

"Strange how the death eaters were able to find our house, isn't it? I mean in all of the time we have been married, no death eater has ever dropped by before. I wonder how they found us," James commented while staring coldly at Marcus.

"They probably have a spy in the Order now. They have them everywhere else," Sirius answered, realizing too late where James had directed his comment.

"Yes, that's a definite possibility I think. Hard to believe only this morning we all sat down together for pancakes. Marcus it was your first time to our house, wasn't it? I trust you found the visit to be… enlightening?"

Regulus raised an eyebrow, "Enlightening?" he asked innocently, "Sure, anytime I can get to know new people better I find it enlightening. However if you are not-so-subtly implying that I was somehow responsible for what happened tonight, I wasn't. I had no idea where you lived until Sirius took me there for breakfast and I had been with him all day prior to your summons."

James looked at his watch, "That was over twelve hours ago. Surely you were not with Sirius that long."

Sirius answered, "He was, James. He is definitely not a spy. I guarantee it."

"How could you possibly know, Sirius? We only just met him."

"James, please-" Lily began before stopping as a former Hufflepuff and current healing apprentice, Vesta MacMillan, approached the group. Sirius had dated her briefly in his seventh year. He was not surprised that he was her obvious target for conversation. Though he did find it odd she would seek him out now, given the earlier events of the evening.

"Hi guys, I'm sorry to bother you, I just… Sirius, have you spoken to anyone in your family recently?"

Sirius immediately looked to 'Marcus,' who gave him an exasperated look. Sirius realized his mistake and took the time to glance at James and Remus before looking back to Vesta. After a slightly longer pause than the question warranted, he answered,

"I do not consider any of the Blacks to be family. If that is who you are referring to, then no I haven't spoken to any of them recently. Why?"

"I was afraid of that. It isn't really my place to say. Perhaps you should contact-"

"What happened?" Marcus asked.

Vesta looked at him startled, before looking back to Sirius who nodded for her to continue, "I'm so sorry. I- I was at St. Mungo's prior to coming here. Your father was brought in. He passed away. I'm really sorry. I didn't know if you would have been in contact with anyone to have heard-"

Rather shocked at the news, and completely forgetting about Regulus, Sirius chuckled briefly before blurting out, "Please tell me there was some irony involved. A muggle disease or something."

Vesta's expression was indecipherable. She glanced around at everyone gathered around James' bed before answering, "Um, he had a heart attack."

"That's brilliant. All these years I never knew he had heart. It turns out it was there the whole time, only defective."

Regulus, completely void of any disguise in his voice or tone retorted angrily, "Perhaps it functioned just fine until the heir of the family repeatedly demonstrated his lack of respect for his family."

_Damnit, why do I keep forgetting about Regulus being around? Oh well the truth hurts, S_irius thought before responding,

"I can't respect that which does not earn it."

"Parents should not have to earn their child's respect. They should have it because they are their parents. When you were helpless as a baby they cared for you. Clothed you. Ensured you were fed. When you were older they bought you everything you needed and in your case, anything you ever wanted," he stated measuredly. Clearly only maintaining any pretense of calmness with great effort.

For the first time since Sirius could remember, he knew Regulus' indifferent façade was slipping due to his anger- and possibly due to learning of his father's death. Since Sirius had returned from his first year at Hogwarts, few things had ever provoked Regulus enough for him to appear even remotely affected.

If Sirius ever got into an argument with their parents, Regulus would leave the room when possible. If escaping was not an option, he did his best to stay out of the way and remained quiet until the fight was over. He never got involved in an argument if his parents were present to 'defend themselves.'

Typically the only thing that ever made Regulus truly angry was when Sirius repeatedly pushed him by saying things to 'disrespect' their family. These occasions became even rarer though, as they got older and began to actively avoid each other.

However Sirius remembered these occasions. When Regulus was provoked enough, there was no denying that he had inherited just as much of the famous Black temper as everyone else had. He was just far better than the rest of them at repressing it.

Sirius couldn't help but want to see if that sort of passion still existed in his little brother, even if it only came out when Regulus was angry. Sirius and Bellatrix, though driven by entirely different things, were nothing if not passionate.

Regulus was far more like Narcissa. They were always calm and presented themselves as coldly indifferent. Nothing was more infuriating to Sirius than indifference. So even despite the need for Regulus to maintain his 'Marcus' persona, and even despite knowing that the loss of their father would affect Regulus much more than it would him, Sirius could not help but to push Regulus. He had rarely seen anything from his brother but that cold indifference in nearly a decade.

"Ensuring basic needs are met is not exactly respect inducing in my eyes. Especially when the family's house elf saw to most of mine and my little brother's needs when we were young. They taught me nothing about anything worthy of respect. Only about how much better the Blacks were than everyone else as they tried to force their crazy pureblood mania onto me. My little brother was soft enough to believe them, and it cost him his life. You'll have to forgive me, if it offends you, but I will never have any respect for the people I am forced to call my parents."

"You could have agreed to disagree with their beliefs. You did not have to turn everything into an argument and provoke them at every opportunity. If you can be grateful of nothing else than perhaps you should remember that as much as you deserved it, your parents never kicked you out. You ostracized yourself from them, not the other way around," Regulus answered quietly, though his tone deadly. The others around the bed had been caught off guard by his change in demeanor and it was enough for them to recoil slightly.

Regulus seemed to remember he was supposed to be portraying Marcus and took an a deep breath in obvious attempt to calm himself before adding, "Regardless of past offenses, you are now the head of the Black family. If you do not respect the family in which you are now considered the patriarch, you cannot expect anyone else to have respect for you," he then stood as if to leave, but was stopped by James' defense of Sirius.

"Who are you to speak to him about his family?" he demanded, "Sirius just found out his father has died. If you can't be more considerate and keep your opinions to yourself, I think we're all much better off if you stay the hell away from us from now on."

Regulus looked to Sirius as if daring him to contradict James. Admittedly, Sirius did experience an intense desire to lash out at James for his comments to Regulus, but it was fleeting. Regulus knew a lot more about the Black family than James could. However no one else knew it was Regulus they were speaking to. As far as they knew, Marcus should not know anything about the Black family.

If Sirius contradicted what James said to Marcus, there would be a whole lot of explaining that needed to be done that Sirius wasn't quite ready for. Remus and Lily were already looking between him and Marcus rather suspiciously, which likely would not bode well. Not wanting to further damage anymore of 'Marcus'' disguise, Sirius opted to remain silent.

After a moment of the silence, Regulus shook his head, "Staying away from each other is the best idea I've heard all day. I couldn't agree more."

He then turned on his heel, and Sirius instantly became disappointed both at himself for trying to provoke Regulus and at Regulus for having lost the passion that had once driven him when they were children. Amidst the news of their father's passing, Sirius had completely forgotten about Peter.

He was just being pulled back into an awkward conversation with James, Remus and Lily, when all of their wands shot away from them and across the room.

It seemed the same fate had become of everyone else's wands. Several people were attempting to retrieve theirs, but failed and made to look foolish, as each time someone got close enough to a wand it would zoom away immediately.

In Sirius' distraction over the wands, he had failed to notice that Peter had entered the room. It seemed he had entered in time for his wand to have been affected as well, as he approached the group unarmed.

As Peter approached them he greeted,

"I got your message, Remus. James, how are you feeling? And what is going on with the wands?" His voice came out more squeaky than normal, as if he were nervous but trying his best to hide it.

Before anyone else could respond Regulus had returned to their group.

_Apparently he is a bit better than me at maintaining focus_, the elder Black thought ruefully.

"Regretfully, Potter shall make a full recovery. I wouldn't worry about the wands if I were you. You will likely never hold one again," he stated before lazily flicking his wand at Peter. An instant later, Peter was bound and at Regulus' feet.

Regulus immediately followed up with a purple spell directed at Peter. Judging by the fact that Peter's face was becoming strained with an effort to transform, yet he remained in his human form, Sirius could only assume that was an effect of the unknown, purple spell.

"Who are you?" Peter asked shakily. He then cast a furtive glance at the other marauders as if expecting they would help him. James looked as if he wanted to, but couldn't due to his injuries. Lily and Remus kept looking from Sirius to Marcus as if confirming their suspicions of Marcus' true identity. They wisely chose to follow Sirius' lead and did nothing but observe Peter's predicament. There was also little they could do seeing as Regulus was the only one in the hospital who had a wand.

Ignoring several people's questions of 'what's going on' and 'what are you doing?'

Regulus answered Peter with, "That's irrelevant. It's more important who you are, compared with what you have allowed everyone else to believe."

He then grasped Peter's left hand, and pulled his arm away from his body. Peter tried to pull it back, but his efforts were completely useless against the younger wizard. Marcus grabbed the sleeve of Peter's shirt and wrenched it back, revealing the dark mark that resided there, black as coal.

Those able to see gasped at the revelation.

"Why did you put that there?" Peter demanded. Though the fact that he was clearly petrified, lost him any amount of authority his statement would have possessed otherwise.

"I'm quite sure no one but Voldemort could have left such a mark."

"No! I would never! You used dark magic to mark me! You must have!"

"And why would I do that?"

"You must have been given the orders to do so from the dark lord. How could I know why he wanted it done?" Peter demanded, again the obvious fear in his voice caused it to sound higher pitched than normal and shake.

"Perhaps if you at least feign pride in your cowardice of spying on the Order, Voldemort will allow you to live once he frees you from Azkaban."

"Please! No, I am not a death eater! I do not belong in Azkaban. James! Lily! Remus! Sirius! All of them will tell you, I am not a death eater. Please." He sniveled pathetically.

Sirius had never seen Regulus so… powerful. He had an aura about him that everyone else in the room was forced to notice. Anyone who might have attempted to tackle Regulus or otherwise intercede on Peter's behalf seemed to recognize their attempts would have been futile. Sirius suspected even if they were armed, most would have been hesitant to take on 'Marcus' now.

As such, Marcus was left to continue questioning Peter, even as Mad Eye Moody, Frank Longbottom and Dumbledore approached the scene. They too were unarmed, but the trio seemed to have gotten over any anger of that predicament, and were instead looking at Peter as if they'd never seen him before.

"How did you become branded with the dark mark if you are not a death eater?"

Apparently deciding to change tactics he whimpered, "H-he forced me to join. I never wanted it. He sought me out. Threatened to kill me. He only let me live if I agreed to take the mark. I have not returned to him since I was branded."

Regulus chuckled humorlessly, "Of all of the people he could have sought out, he chose you? A half-blood who could just as easily be labeled as a half-squib? It's a shame he did not care enough about his spy to at least teach him occlumency. From only minutes of standing here, I've learned that you joined, willingly, over a year ago. You have been passing information to Voldemort, willingly, ever since. You revealed to him the locations and protections of both the Bones and Potter's homes to allow the attacks that occurred this very evening. You are responsible for passing information along which aided in the murders of the Bones family, Caradoc Dearborn-"

Peter had been whimpering all through Regulus' comments but as if the listing of names had given him his voice back, he screamed, "No! No! Don't listen to him. He is mad! I am not a spy! I am no death eater!"

"Perhaps we should take this conversation up to my office," Dumbledore said lightly, as if commenting on the weather.

Regulus looked at him, "He has been branded with the dark mark and is a death eater. He has admitted that. Place him on trial and use veritaserum if you believe he was forced against his will to join. But there is no denying he has joined. He should be tried as such."

"This is not the place for this conversation-"

"Neither is your office. There is nothing more that even needs to be discussed right now. There are two aurors here now at your disposal. Why not ask them to arrest him?"

"For among other reasons, these two aurors are unarmed at the moment."

Regulus looked as if he were considering whether to give them their wands for a moment, but instead cast a spell to send out two patronuses.

"And who are you contacting?" Dumbledore asked measuredly so as to keep the anger in his tone to a minimum.

"The head of the DMLE, of course," he answered unconcernedly and as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Dumbledore's eyes flashed with fury, before he calmly replied, "I'll remind you Mr. Atilius, that I am the headmaster of Hogwarts. Punishment at my school shall-"

"Sorry, sir. But Pettigrew is not a student, he only just happened to be caught while visiting the school. Furthermore, surely with all of these witnesses you are not going to try to release Pettigrew without at least putting him on trial first."

"His punishment is not for you to decide!"

"Nor is it up to you. You are the headmaster of a school, not the head of the DMLE- Which is fortunate considering that even with a death eater and spy hand-delivered to you, you are unable to see past your own partiality and take the measures necessary to stop him from aiding Voldemort further. How can you possibly lead the opposition against Voldemort when you are so clearly blinded by your own prejudice?"

"This is far too public for a conversation of this magnitude. If you will kindly give us back our wands, and release Mr. Pettigrew, we shall-"

"I am not going up to your office so that you can attempt to sweep all of this under the rug before Mr. Crouch gets here. Pettigrew is a death eater. He has been caught. No past nostalgia of his former glory days as a Gryffindor can amend the path he has chosen. He will deal with the consequences of his choice to join the death eaters, just as the rest of us must deal with our own choices."

"I'll remind you, Mr. Atilius, everyone deserves the opportunity to redeem themselves," Dumbledore answered pointedly. Likely in effort to remind Regulus that he had been a death eater not so long ago and could find himself in Peter's position pretty easily.

Regulus looked at Dumbledore with an indecipherable look for a moment before addressing Peter again, "Alright then Pettigrew. It seems you have been volunteered to turn spy for the Order."

"That is not what I was suggesting!"

"Why not?" Regulus demanded, "You've been so keen on acquiring a spy in the death eaters all of this time. Pettigrew already has practice with deception, and clearly everyone underestimates him. What more could you ask for in a spy?"

It was a fair question. Dumbledore had been quite angry when Regulus gave up his opportunity to spy. Pettigrew was more under the radar and therefore much better placed to turn spy than Regulus had been…which Peter exemplified by having already done it once before with no one being the wiser.

For a long time, Dumbledore remained quiet. When he finally spoke he sounded somewhat resigned, "You must realize Peter could not… fulfill what is necessary to spy for the Order successfully."

"All Gryffindor's are brave. It's been preached for centuries. It must be true. Surely Pettigrew is no exception."

Dumbledore looked doubtful but answered nonetheless, "I've no doubt Peter is brave. Unfortunately he has not been trained in the mind arts."

"Then teach him. Voldemort sought him out apparently. He must be very valuable and worth the effort," Regulus drawled sarcastically.

"We do not have the luxury of the amount of time that would require-"

"Then what is this redemption you are speaking of?"

"We cannot send him back to Voldemort like this. He would be killed if Voldemort found out his cover was blown. If he is arrested, he will be put on trial and sent to Azkaban upon conviction. As Voldemort largely controls the prison now, it would only be a matter of time before he is released and likely immediately killed in punishment. Surely you must see why neither of these are options?"

"If we do nothing he will be tracked through his dark mark and Voldemort will take every last bit of information from his diminutive brain before killing him. The least we can do is make Voldemort put effort forth to obtain any knowledge Pettigrew has not already given him."

Dumbledore looked around the room, clearly wishing Regulus had not initiated this interaction so publicly, "We can continue as things have been. We will ensure Peter does not know the biggest parts of our plans. We will have to obliviate this memory from him of course, but it is the only thing that will keep him alive."

Quite a few of the Order members, including Moody appeared to be perturbed by what he was saying. Others, such as James and Frank Longbottom still seemed to be working out how Peter could have betrayed them. Everyone was pulled from their musings when Regulus declared,

"Good evening Mr. Crouch! I'm so glad you could make it. Your aurors here were just about to make the arrest of Peter Pettigrew. He has confessed to being a death eater. He does however, insist that he was forced to join against his will."

Bartemius Crouch Sr. looked at Marcus and was likely going to ask who he was, but decided he didn't care at the last moment. "Very well, you are a half-blood I believe?" he directed at Peter.

"Y-yes. I didn't want to join. I had no choice. He was going to kill me!"

"Yes, well I suspect he will kill us all if given the chance, so that's hardly surprising. As for you being forced to join… that's nothing a dose of veritaserum can't determine. Moody, Longbottom, are you ready to transport?"

Regulus summoned the two auror's wands and handed them back to their owners before commenting,

"Just so you know, Pettigrew is an unregistered animagus. He will take the form of a rat if given the opportunity to transform," Regulus informed Crouch as if an afterthought.

Bartemius Crouch looked to Dumbledore and then back to Marcus and gave the closest thing to a smirk that he was likely capable of. He then nodded to his aurors, and Moody pulled out a portkey. Without further ado the trio disappeared.

As they left, Crouch asked for a private meeting with Dumbledore in his office. Sirius was just about to go and congratulate Regulus on his unparalleled ability to piss Dumbledore off, when he realized Regulus was gone.

He quickly bid goodnight to James, Remus and Lily, who were obviously still shocked by what they had witnessed, and even more so by Peter's disloyalty.

Sirius left the hospital wing rather calmly but was actually growing quite frantic. The last thing Regulus had said was that they should stay away from each other. Sirius only wanted to mess with him, granted his timing was terrible. At any rate, the younger Black had more than proven his ability to be passionate when he was talking to Peter and Dumbledore just then.

Sirius quickly walked all the way back to the apparition point outside the gates of Hogwarts, but did not see Regulus anywhere. He apparated to Regulus' apartment, but he was not there either. Sirius did not know where else his brother could have gone. He desperately hoped that between the things he had said, and their father's death, that a permanent wedge had not been forced between him and his brother.

* * *

><p>Regulus approached the blonde-haired boy that he had summoned cautiously. It was a very wary Barty Crouch Jr. who looked him in the eyes and stated,<p>

"I don't know who you are, or why you summoned me, but if I am caught out of bounds at this hour I am going to get detention and lose house points. Please state your business so I can get back to my dorm."

Regulus couldn't help but to chuckle lightly, "Perhaps you are not who I thought you were then. The person I was hoping to meet has far bigger things to worry about than detentions and house points."

"And who were you hoping to meet?"

"The person responsible for screening potential death eaters from Hogwarts."

Barty looked around frantically to see if anyone else had heard him, but they were quite alone in the rarely used corridor they had met in.

"I am a Ravenclaw. Certainly not… that person."

"Ah, I see. Well I happen to have known your predecessor. I thought it likely he would not have selected a Slytherin to follow in his footsteps, as Slytherins are so rarely trusted by anyone."

"How did you know Regulus?"

Marcus smirked, "It's a good thing he is dead, considering how quick you were to confirm my suspicions. A better question is how did you know he had ever held that position to begin with, if you did not seek him out in order to join the death eaters?"

"Who are you?"

"Marcus Atilius."

Barty tilted his head to the side, as if looking at him from a different angle would change things. He then asked, "Why don't I know you?"

"I was homeschooled."

"How old are you?"

"Eighteen."

Barty looked him over appraisingly, "Why did you want to meet with me?"

"I thought it might be… prudent, given the circumstances."

"And what are these circumstances?"

"You can deny it if you want to, but I already know that you are responsible for scouting out students who are promising to the dark lord's cause. You'll notice that even with that knowledge, I have come alone to meet you and have no intention to have you arrested- at least not yet."

Barty gritted his teeth in agitation, "And what do you want me to do… to continue your silence?"

"I'd imagine it must be difficult. Being entrusted with the names of nearly every new death eater. I suspect it is a lot of pressure-"

"So you want me to give you the names of all of the death eaters in exchange for your silence?" he scoffed, "Fat chance."

"I do not need you to give me the names."

"Then what do you want?"

"Why do you think Black recommended you to be his predecessor when he graduated?"

"We didn't have a lot of deep conversations. I accepted the job the dark lord offered me with honor and am happy to do my part for his cause."

"Why did you join the death eaters?"

"Why do you think, since you seem to know everything?"

"I think you were neglected at home, and joined as a form of rebellion against your father."

Barty looked equally surprised as angry by that statement, "You're wrong. I don't care enough about my father for that. I joined because I believe muggles are scum and we should not be forced to hide our magic from _them_. Purebloods-"

"Right, well," Regulus held up his hand to stop him from proclaiming some version of the mantra he had been preached his entire life. "Perhaps you really believe that, but you certainly weren't raised in a household that would embrace those ideas. Perhaps you've only come to embrace them yourself as a means to feel as though you fit in."

"It doesn't matter how I was raised. I am free to make my own decisions. Why are you really here?"

"I imagine there are few Ravenclaws that even know you are a death eater, and from what I understand- Slytherins tend to keep to themselves mostly. If you have no one else you can talk to for a different perspective, I know what you are, and will not judge it."

"Did Dumbledore put you up to this? How did he find out?"

"He doesn't know you are a death eater. He would likely never believe someone in a house apart from Slytherin could be one…much less that they would have been assigned the position you have. I'll admit I do not support the dark lord's views, but I am not exactly pro-Dumbledore either. I believe most of us exist in some variation of gray and only pretend to belong in the extremes of either 'light' or 'dark'."

"You want me to pass information about the dark lord to you though, don't you?"

Regulus smirked, "Only if you want to."

"And if I don't?"

"Then you can summon me to talk…if you want to. Otherwise you won't hear from me again."

"Had you gone to Hogwarts, you would have been a Slytherin. Why don't you skip all of the pretenses and tell me exactly what you want?"

"I want to help you, while you can still be helped. You can't have been involved in many death eater activities yet with you still being at school."

"I've done enough to know its a cause worth fighting for. I am proud of the position I've been given and am happy to serve in any capacity I can."

"Are you really? Do you enjoy sending children to the dark lord to be judged of their worthiness? Knowing most are going to be tortured whether they are deemed 'worthy' or not. The unworthy are humiliated before being sent away. While the 'lucky' ones are tested with whatever grisly initiation is thought up."

Barty smirked, "I'll take it you were one of the humiliated ones that were sent away, since you know so much about it."

Regulus remained silent for a moment before realizing he would accomplish nothing with foolish pride, "Something like that."

Barty took on a look of great self-importance before deciding to be indulgent, "It's different now anyway. Black convinced the dark lord that no one under the age of seventeen should be allowed to _officially_ join. The bloody hypocrite… he joined only a few days after turning sixteen- the youngest ever from what I've heard. He didn't change _his_ mind, I don't know why he thought others might."

Regulus internally celebrated his small victory that at least Voldemort had no future plans of allowing anyone underage to join. He vaguely wondered whether the extra year would have been enough time for him to have grown up enough to realize it was not the life he wanted for himself. Pushing those thoughts aside, he commented,

"Well look what happened to him then. There was no evidence to show Black was disloyal to the cause and yet the death eaters turned on him. If that isn't enough to make someone reconsider joining…"

"He was killed out of jealousy. Most other death eaters are on a pretty level playing field now, but Black…some of the other eaters believed the dark lord favored him."

"Well that shows what being a favorite will do for you I guess. And if you are not a favorite you are tortured if not worse, so no one is particularly safe. Just think about what I said ok? You can owl me…"

"Why do you even care?"

Regulus smirked, "You remind me of someone."

"If you think me talking to you is going to somehow change my perspective... and even regret joining… I think that's the last thing I need to do."

"You are more intelligent than self-preserving or ambitious if your school sorting is anything to go by. Use that intelligence. What do you think is going to happen to you once the war is over and the dark lord loses?"

Barty laughed, "Seriously? There is no way that is going to happen-"

"It is. And you can either be a part of bringing down him down, or you can rot in Azkaban when the war is over."

"And joining the 'light side' has the added benefit of making my father proud too, right?" Barty asked scathingly.

"No. Do what you want to do because it makes you the person you want to be. But don't be someone you aren't out of spite, or for any other reason. And as for your father? Screw him. If he doesn't care about you, why do you care what he thinks?"

"I don't."

"I doubt you would have joined the death eaters if that were true."

Barty looked to be considering what he said, which was better than Regulus had hoped for really. He nodded towards the younger wizard and began backing away from him.

"See you around, Crouch," he said as he rounded the corner.

Regulus hadn't really planned to talk to Barty, but once he had thought to summon Crouch Sr. to arrest Pettigrew, he thought also of his son. He felt it couldn't hurt to talk with him while he was so readily available.

Admittedly he liked the idea in part because it would distract him from having to think about his father's death before he had to. Though 'befriending' Barty had merit of its own. Regulus had managed to deter some, albeit few, potential death eaters from joining when he had been responsible for screening the potential recruits at Hogwarts. It was possible Crouch could choose to do the same.

It was a very delicate situation, though. You couldn't exactly tell someone not to join outright, and depending on who you were talking to, warnings often fell on deaf ears anyway. Barty was one he thought may have reconsidered, but Regulus hadn't even tried to deter him. He knew the dark lord would be extremely thorough in delving through the memories of the head of the DMLE's son... Regulus had had more self-preservation than worry for Crouch's well-being at the time.

Regulus felt guilty he had not done more to convince him, and others not to join, though in doing so, he likely would have brought too much attention to himself and what he was doing. Regulus was hopeful that Barty would change his mind and want to talk to him at some point in the near future, but was not particularly expectant of it to happen.

Though with any luck, he could eventually convince Barty to indirectly discourage new potential recruits from joining the death eaters. It likely wouldn't be enough to impact the death eater numbers with much significance. Regulus was more interested now in dissuading as many people as possible from ruining their lives, as Regulus had done when he joined.

Before he could do any of that though, he would have to wait for Barty to contact him, which may never happen.

* * *

><p>Author's Note- I couldn't find an exact date for Orion's death. I did find it was presumably of natural causes and in the same year Regulus died... so this was the closest I could get to that.<p>

Please leave a review to let me know what you think! Thank you for reading!


	27. Secrets Revealed and Saying Goodbye

Sirius had spent the last several days in much of the same manner. He would wake up and go to Hogwarts infirmary, where he would pass the day with James, Lily and Remus. In addition to keeping his friends company, he was able to stay better up-to-date on the recent death eater activities there. Any other 'reliable' news source was controlled by Voldemort and therefore grossly inaccurate. Secretly, he was listening for news on Regulus. Each night he slept in his brother's apartment, rather than at his own house.

He desperately wanted to talk to Regulus, but doing so was made impossible by his disappearance. Each evening Sirius would inspect the rooms in the apartment for changes; it was apparent that Regulus was not coming home during the day either. The only other safe option Sirius could think of was their Uncle Alphard's house. He had since gone there twice, only to find it completely untouched from the last time he had been there.

Sirius had originally gone to Regulus' apartment following Peter's arrest. After raiding the kitchen and relieving his brother of his best alcohol (it had probably been Rosier's) he had made himself comfortable on the couch, fully intending to… discuss the things he had said when his brother returned home.

Things didn't go as planned though. Sirius had awoken the next morning with the first rays of sunlight, and with a crick in his neck, after having unintentionally fallen asleep on Regulus' couch. Sirius knew himself to be a light enough sleeper, and had not drank nearly enough, not to have woken up if Regulus had come home.

The pain in his neck had not subsided for the entirety of that day, which Sirius naturally blamed on Regulus. Still, he returned at night hoping he would come home so Sirius could talk to him. The initial remorse he had felt for his remarks about their father's death had quickly turned into irritation for his brother's obvious avoidance of him. However, after three and a half days without seeing or hearing anything from Regulus, his feelings were turning back to remorse and even becoming somewhat panicky.

He had taken for granted that Regulus 'needed' him, though why he ever thought that he couldn't explain. Regulus had not needed him since he was ten years old, likely not even then. That sentiment was clearly expressed by Regulus having isolated himself. For all Sirius knew, Regulus had left the country by now- all thoughts of bringing down Voldemort forgotten. He was planning to leave once the war was over anyway. Doing so now would save him a lot of trouble with the same result in the end.

As worried as Sirius was, he was unwilling to seek his brother out by any means that could be construed as desperate. He had far too much pride for that. He also knew Regulus was purposely avoiding him. He vaguely wondered if the self-imposed isolation was a good idea- there were very few people Regulus could actually be in contact with, after all.

Sirius was not the only one wondering about his brother's whereabouts though. He had made quite the show in front of the majority of the Order when Peter was arrested. While no one aside from Dumbledore and Mad Eye Moody knew Marcus' true identity, Marcus was a very popular topic amongst the Order members now. Regulus would have quite the limelight on him now when around Order members, something he had never wanted.

It was now the morning of their father's funeral. As much as Sirius hated the idea of voluntarily subjecting himself to the torture of his family's company, attending the funeral was his best chance to find Regulus. He thought it almost a certainty that his brother would be there. His absence would all but confirm that he had fled the country as far as Sirius was concerned. A reality Sirius wasn't quite sure he could accept. Regulus was finally trying to do the right thing. The last thing Sirius wanted was for him to revert back to valuing self-preservation above doing what is right.

James had been released from the infirmary the previous evening. He would have left long before then if not for Lily. Once Madam Pomfrey suggested he stay there for observation and rest, Lily refused to listen to any of James' assurances that he had already been completely healed. Sirius vaguely wondered whether James held any gratitude towards Marcus for healing him. He thought it best not to ask.

He decided to pay them a visit before attending the funeral. Not having the time to spare, he apparated as near the cottage as the wards allowed. He was surprised when he found himself directly in front of Dumbledore.

After a quick greeting, James stated,

"Hey Pads, we are discussing the best options for adding protections to the house. Dumbledore reckons the safest protection apart from moving away is the Fidelius Charm. As neither Lily nor I are too keen on moving, we will be doing that. We want you to be our secret keeper."

"Are you sure? After what happened with Pete-"

"You're not Peter. And don't mention him in front of me right now. I still can't believe he betrayed us," James shook his head angrily.

Dumbledore responded, "I offered to be secret keeper as well, but it is a decision only James and Lily can make," the headmaster added serenely.

"Alright, what do I need to do?" Sirius asked.

After being told to do nothing but stand still while Dumbledore performed the charm, his mind began to wander. James was too trusting of his friends, they all had been. After what happened with Peter, they needed to be questioning the trustworthiness of everyone. While Sirius knew he would never purposely give away the Potter's location, he couldn't help but wish James were more careful.

Once the spell was completed, James asked Sirius to fulfill his first duty as secret keeper by telling Lily and Remus the address of the cottage. Sirius could tell James wanted to talk to Dumbledore in private. He was likely sending him inside to distract Lily so he could discuss options for keeping the stubborn redhead away from skirmishes with the death eater's while she was pregnant. Sirius quickly obliged and made his way inside.

Upon entering the cottage unannounced, Sirius immediately found Lily and Remus sitting in the living room and talking in hushed tones. When they saw him they both startled, leaving him with the impression that he may have been the topic of their discussion. Sirius had a bad feeling about this, they had been looking at him strangely ever since Peter was arrested. Especially anytime Marcus was mentioned. This was also the first time since his argument with 'Marcus' that he had been alone with two of them without James' presence.

"Hi Sirius," Lily and Remus both greeted with slightly guilty expressions.

"Hello. Did I interrupt anything interesting?"

"Not really… no." Remus answered.

Lily cleared her throat before stating in a low voice, "Actually we were discussing Marcus. He seems to know an uncanny amount of information about the death eaters… and Dumbledore for someone who was homeschooled… Do you think he is who he says he is?"

"I don't know why he wouldn't be. You met him at the same time I did though. Why do you think I would know more about him than you?"

Remus exchanged a look with Lily. The latter of which apparently decided to throw all caution to the wind and asked,

"Well... he's your brother, isn't he?"

Sirius tried his best to look both shocked and hurt, "My brother was murdered in case you forgot."

"We heard the two of you at Hogwarts, Sirius. The things he said… there's no way he could have known those things if-" Lily began before Sirius interrupted,

"He didn't say anything that couldn't have been guessed. Most of it I had told him earlier in the day. I can't believe he turned it against me like that though."

"Sirius…" Remus began.

"I'm done with this conversation. I don't want to talk about my brother, ok? He's dead-"

"We won't tell anyone, Sirius. Just please don't lie to us," Lily answered patiently.

He looked from one to the other. It was obvious they were not going to give up on this until he admitted it. He would also be much more easily forgiven if he did not lie to their faces. The best thing he could do now was admit the truth and change the subject as quickly as possible. He would have to tell James now too, but he didn't want him to find out by overhearing this conversation. Throwing up his hands in resignation he stated,

"Fine. Marcus is really Regulus, but-"

"What?" James demanded as he had apparently slipped inside unnoticed and had in fact overheard the last part of the conversation.

Sirius looked to Remus and Lily. They both looked horrified. As he suspected, they had not shared their suspicions with James. Sirius turned back to James and looked him in the eyes,

"Regulus realized the stupidity of being a death eater. He faked his death. He is portraying himself as Marcus." Seeing the impending outburst he added, "He really does want to bring down Voldemort, James. He is on our side."

"How could you have known about this and not said anything? How can you even trust him after everything?"

"He's my brother," Sirius answered simply, while silently pleading that James would realize that meant something.

"You have no proper family, Sirius."

_Ouch, thanks for pointing that out, James_, Sirius thought.

"Regulus is my brother. He deserves the chance to be treated as one."

"He deserves nothing. He is a death eater."

"Was, James. He was a death eater. He no longer believes any of that rubbish."

"Oh he feels bad now, does he? Well if he wants a second chance, then of course he should have it since he is your brother and all." James said scathingly.

"James, please calm down and just listen to what Sirius has to say," Lily answered before Sirius could.

"Calm down? You want me to calm down? He brought a death eater into our home, Lily." He shook his head in disdain, "How many people has he tortured? Regulus wants a second chance," James chuckled darkly, "What about the people he has murdered. Do they get a second chance to right any of their wrongs?"

"For all I know he hasn't killed anyone," Sirius began slowly trying his best to remain calm.

"As far you know? You didn't think to ask? I guess blood really is thicker than water, then. Seeing as you were so ready to forgive without even getting all of the details first."

Sirius did not want to fight with James. Yet he knew whatever he said now would set the tone for how James would react to Regulus in the future. If he showed any hesitation or room for doubt in his trust in him, it would only fuel James' own, already profound lack of trust in Regulus.

"I didn't tell you, because for some reason I didn't think you would take it well," Sirius answered pointedly. "In terms of Regulus' intentions in this war, I have no doubt he is entirely on our side. I trust him. He was ready to die to bring down Voldemort. He did die… he has more than proven his loyalty to me, even if you can't see it."

James was still seething but seemed to be calming down gradually, "What do you mean he died trying to bring down Voldemort? He couldn't've died…"

"I'm not sure what I am allowed to talk about…" Sirius looked around towards the doorway it seemed Dumbledore had already left, "Dumbledore knows what Regulus did. Whether he likes Reg or not, he knows he is on our side. Otherwise he would never allow him within the grounds of Hogwarts."

"I don't want to see you hurt by your family again. You can't trust him… why do you even care about him anyway?"

"He's my brother. And as he pointed out, I abandoned him- not the other way around. I don't care about the rest of my family, but I won't make the same mistake where he is concerned again… when I thought he was dead… it made me realize how much I had missed him."

James nodded absently as if actually considering his next words carefully. Before he got them out though, Sirius had turned to leave, excusing himself as he went. He was going to be late to the funeral if he didn't hurry. James realizing the time quickly dropped the subject of Regulus and once again insisted on accompanying him to the funeral, much to Sirius' secret annoyance. While he didn't want to alienate himself from James, he really needed to talk to Regulus. Bringing James with him to do it was not going to endear him to his brother. Still, considering who the attendees of the funeral would likely be, it would be unwise to refuse the backup.

While he was relieved that James was able to drop the subject of his brother's continued existence quickly, he also knew James well enough to know he would not have gotten over a deception of that magnitude so quickly. He thought it likely his friend was saving his outburst for after the funeral.

* * *

><p>Regulus knew Sirius would go to Evan's apartment to look for him. That had been his thing when they were little. Sirius would say or do something idiotic to Regulus, only to feel guilty about it later. He would then go and find Regulus so that he could hint around that he was sorry for what he had done, though without ever actually apologizing. It was one of the few practices their family taught that Sirius chose to adopt, 'a Black never apologizes.' For that reason, Regulus had opted to go somewhere Sirius had limited access to. There was far too much work that needed to be done to deal with Sirius right now.<p>

When he left his meeting with Barty, he had apparated to their Uncle Alphard's house. After taking a few minutes to examine the protections on the house, he adjusted them to allow him access. He refrained from adding his own protections for now so as to not make his presence obvious.

Once he was satisfied the house was safe enough and would continue to appear vacant, he carefully made his way inside.

The youngest Black had been unsurprised but relieved to find there were no portraits hanging in the downstairs of the house. Uncle Alphard was likely not vain enough to want his own portrait; he also did not get along well enough with anyone to hang a portrait of them in the main living space of his home.

After taking a tour of the main level, Regulus found there to be a living room, kitchen and study. As well as a master bedroom with a bathroom, two additional bedrooms and another bathroom. He had been to this house a couple of times in his youth, but had never been given a proper tour of it. Deciding the main level of the house was more than adequate for his current needs, Regulus decided to wait to explore the upstairs another time.

He made his way back to the most comfortable looking bedroom he had seen. He quickly cast cleaning spells on the bed, to remove the dust that had settled there, before laying down on it.

He was unsure whether his usual nightmare of the cave or if thoughts of his now deceased father would be worse. While he knew their relationship was not as close as many father-son relationships, he would miss him.

They had bonded over the past year especially. His father had carefully reviewed with him each of the current investments and holdings the Black family had. The longer standing ones were stable and anticipated to continue drawing revenues for the family for years to come. There were several other appropriations that were only intended to be short term. Left unattended, they would lose the family some of its wealth.

Orion had taken great pride in showing Regulus all of these things, along with many other responsibilities the head of the Black family was expected to tend to. Sirius had never been properly trained to be the head of the family. He had left and been disinherited before the most important aspects were taught to him.

Fortunately the majority of the family's investments were sound enough to overcome the higher risk ones, and would easily sustain his mother's way of life until her natural death. That was very fortunate as Regulus knew Walburga Black would never lower herself enough to inquire how much gold was in her vault.

Regulus would not put it past Sirius to be too stubborn to manage their family's accounts. He was the head of a family he despised. Besides that, he had inherited enough from their uncle Alphard to sustain him comfortably, without ever needing to delve into the vaults he inherited from their father.

That would mean the Black's financial state would be left grossly unattended. It would not build interest as it had previously. There would likely be enough gold to sustain them for some generations to come, but they would never be able to maintain their position among the wealthiest families in Britain. Their father had been extremely methodical and ingenious with his investing. He had also had the time to manage the accounts with far more vigilance than Sirius or Regulus could allot right now.

Regulus decided to meet with Ragnok first thing in the morning and request he take a more active role in managing their family's accounts. There was a reason the goblins were allowed to run Gringotts, after all. Even the most bigoted of purebloods would not dare deny the goblins were brilliant at investing.

It was the right decision in the current climate and with their current responsibilities to arrange for the goblins to do the job now. He hoped he had enough pull with them to arrange the changeover himself without involving Sirius.

Regulus was surprised when he managed to fall asleep rather quickly. His dreams had fluctuated from his memories of the cave and several variations of what his father had gone through before his death. When he woke up he couldn't remember all of the details of his dreams, though he knew the cause of both: his own cowardice.

When Sirius left the family and was openly against Voldemort's regime, his family believed Regulus needed to join the death eaters to renew the Black's reputation. If he did not join, their status would have been greatly undermined and they theoretically could have been targeted by Voldemort's regime- or so Bellatrix had insisted.

His mother and Bellatrix were more than willing to use force in order to 'convince' Regulus to join the death eaters. Not that they ever had to. He willingly joined because he wanted to make his family proud. For the same reason, he did not tell his parents he was 'leaving' the death eaters by any means necessary. He had then proceeded to allow them to believe he had died. He was a coward that did not want to see their reaction to his choices.

He would have never gone to the cave if he had not joined the death eaters. Perhaps his father would not have had a heart attack if Regulus had not 'died'. Orion had expressed confidence in Regulus' abilities to maintain the family's status. Knowing he would be leaving the family in Sirius' untrained hands upon his death had to have been stressful for their father. Perhaps he was overcome with the grief of there no longer being a proper heir to their family. Maybe it had been enough to cause his heart attack.

Orion had also always been extremely paranoid. Maybe upon learning that death eaters had turned on Regulus, he thought they would come after him and his wife as well. Maybe that stress had been enough to cause a heart attack. The what-ifs were driving Regulus insane. The worst part was knowing he would never know the answers.

Regardless of what caused his father's death, Regulus was convinced that the downfall of their family rested with him.

His father was dead, there was nothing he could do about that. All he could do now was the best he could with what he had left.

His first priority was to protect his mother. He felt that was his biggest responsibility, even above hunting horcruxes at the moment. Regardless of her flaws, she was his mother. He could remember a time when she had acted as such. When Sirius had first begun his 'special lessons' as the heir of the family, Regulus had been jealous of the extra attention he received. Usually his mother would leave him alone to sulk, but there had been several occasions her motherly instincts won out over her icy exterior.

He could remember sitting with her at the piano as she taught him to play and sang to him. Regulus didn't know if she had ever sang for Sirius or not. He could remember thinking then that her voice was much prettier than anything he had ever heard on the wireless. Despite who she had become, Regulus would never forget the gentleness she once possessed.

The next morning, Regulus successfully arranged for Ragnok to actively manage their family's finances. He then set to work researching how best to protect his mother. Despite the smallish size of the study in his uncle Alphard's home, it had a rather efficient selection of books. The books that were stocked were well chosen and gave Regulus a good base for his research of residential protections.

His father had already placed many protections on Grimmauld Place. Among other things, he had made it unplottable, which left it invisible to most. Unfortunately, those who had been invited there before would still be able to find it. Given the majority of those invited to the house in Regulus' lifetime alone had been death eater sympathizers at best, that was far more people than Regulus trusted.

He believed the addition of the Fidelius Charm was the most effective option. While he had never performed it before, he had reviewed the theory behind it and was confident he could pull it off. He was more concerned with who he could use as the secret keeper.

Ideally he would name himself, as he did not trust his mother not to tell Bellatrix, and others, the address. It would also be difficult to explain to her why he wanted to tamper with the protections on a house that he should not even be able to see. If he made himself the secret keeper, it would be easy enough to slip her the address anonymously to give her access. Naming himself as secret keeper was still problematic though. He did not think his life expectancy was particularly long, and his death would make the charm relatively worthless.

Still, the Fidelius was his mother's best chance at surviving if his continued existence became known. Especially since he would not put it past Bella to capture her as some sort of ransom, if it maintained her good standing with the dark lord. Unfortunately Regulus could not wait until his survival became known to perform the charm. He would likely not have the time or opportunity to perform it by then. While he wanted to protect her, he was also hesitant to perform it at all. He did not want to isolate his mother from all visitors-especially since she had just lost her husband and son. The isolation couldn't be good for anyone's sanity.

Unable to come up with a better solution, Regulus had spent the past several days holed up in his Uncle Alphard's study. He was hopeful he could find a way to perform a variation of the Fidelius that would not fail upon the secret keeper's death.

Today was the day of his father's funeral, and likely the end of his quiet solace. He was unsure if he should even go to the funeral though. As he would not be tagging along as a friend of Sirius', his presence could draw even more unwanted attention than he already had. His stunt with getting Pettigrew arrested had been far less subtle than he had intended.

* * *

><p>Regulus apparated into a secluded area near the cemetery, and began walking towards its entrance, though still unsure whether he could actually stomach the funeral. No one, likely not even his mother would show any emotion. If he could not keep an expression of indifference throughout the entire ordeal, it would not go unnoticed.<p>

Just as the cemetery's entrance came into sight, Regulus decided it was too much of a risk to attend. It was obvious there would be representation of every ancient family present. The number of attendees was ridiculous considering how few would actually grieve his father's death.

Only halfway paying attention to where he was going, Regulus wandered into a church that sat next to the cemetery. He felt the need to be near the burial as it happened, even if he couldn't actually attend the service.

As he walked further inside the empty church, he glanced around briefly. There were statues, some with similar images to what he had seen in graveyards at the front of the room. Windows, made opaque by the images painted onto them lined the walls on both sides of him.

Regulus walked to the nearest pew and sat down. He put his elbows on his knees and dropped his head into his hands. He began taking deep breaths to calm his nerves- though why he felt anxious he couldn't explain. No felt relatively safe, confident no death eater would dare be caught inside a muggle church-though burning it down was certainly an option.

After a few moments his breathing had leveled out, though he kept his head lowered. A few minutes later and a familiar female voice spoke softly, clearly in effort not to startle him.

"I keep finding you in the most unlikely of places. Are you hoping to make a confession or something?"

"No, more of an experiment really. I thought I might burst into flames when I walked in or something… It was a bit anti-climactic," he answered without looking up.

She sniggered, "I'm fairly certain that is vampires, and it's a myth." The bench creaked slightly as she sat down beside him, "I'm sorry about your father, Reg."

That snapped him out of his trance-like state. His head shot up and he immediately found himself staring into the bluish-violet eyes of Cassie Greengrass.

"H-how?"

She smiled sadly, "I went to check on Evan shortly after I found out about your 'murder'. I expected he would be… not himself. Yet he was perfectly fine. Broody as ever and quiet, not even remotely catastrophic like I had expected."

"Please, Evan would take my death in stride like he does anything else. It probably would not have even fazed him."

She looked at him skeptically before continuing, "Well, his reaction made me suspicious, nonetheless. Honestly I thought the best case scenario was that you had left the country and were safe, though I would never see you again," she stated while looking him over. "Then the other night I was picking up some new books, when Sirius entered the bookstore I was in. I had to do a double take, the idea of your brother actually voluntarily reading… it seemed odd, but I didn't think too much of it.

"The two of you walked towards the aisle I was in. I quickly made to leave but when I heard your voice I stopped and listened, hidden in the aisle behind you. You were commenting on all of the books I knew to be your favorites. I almost approached you then, but as I was in disguise myself, I thought better of it. I followed you out of the store and into a muggle bar, of all places. I spoke to you there, remember?" he nodded, "I was just about to tell you I had figured you out when Sirius came back and carted you off with him."

"Have you told anyone?"

"Of course not," she said looking slightly hurt, "Do you really trust me that little?"

"I trust you. More than some of the others who know even, it's just… there's getting to be a lot of people who know."

"I suspect more will find out. Did I mention that I'm surprised you haven't left the country?"

"You have. I thought I should stay… finish what I started. Perhaps I will leave though. There is nothing I planned to do that someone else couldn't."

"Would you care to speak a bit more plainly? I was unable to follow the riddle."

"Sorry, I just- there's a lot going on I guess. You aren't mad that I didn't tell you?"

"Well it would have been nice to have been able to skip your funeral," she began in her perfected cold tone, before adding much more warmly, "Any feelings of anger I had were canceled out by the fact that you are alive. Besides, faking your death would have been rather pointless if everyone knew it was, well- fake."

Regulus vaguely realized Cassie was the first, and possibly the only person that would express any sort of happiness upon learning of his survival. Ragnok had stated that he was pleased by it, but he had likely been trying to find a way to swindle Slytherin's locket away from him at the time. Not to mention he was technically a goblin. He had no idea what Rachel's reaction would be when she learned the truth.

"I think it is safe to say no death eater will find you inside a church, however just in case," she stood up and cast privacy wards around them. "So what's happened to you? Why did you need to fake your death?"

Regulus looked at her and was nearly overcome by an unexplainable desire to tell her everything. He had known her since he was eight- they had been taught the different ballroom dances they were required to know for pureblood functions together. He repressed the feeling though, it would only put her in more danger, the more she knew.

"I didn't want to be a death eater anymore. Beyond that, you are much safer not knowing."

She looked completely unsurprised by that statement, "What made you change your mind?"

"Can we please just talk about something else? I need a distraction from my current reality."

"Sorry, no. I haven't seen you in over a month, part of which, I believed you were dead. Besides if I know you like I think I do, you haven't talked to anyone properly since… well a month ago when you last saw me."

"You have an obnoxiously high opinion of your own conversation skills."

"And you underestimate your need for conversation with me, so as to maintain your sanity," she smiled cheekily.

"Hmm, perhaps. Where were you on Christmas? I didn't see you at Bella's."

"I went to Spain with Farrah and her family. Where were you on New Year's Eve when everyone thought you were dead?"

"In a coma. More or less."

She raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow, "You will tell me what happened eventually, won't you?"

Regulus shrugged noncommittally but remained stubbornly quiet. Cassie accepted she was not going to get anything more out of him for the time being. They sat for a few minutes in companionable silence. After which Regulus stated,

"Won't you be missed at the funeral?"

"No, I asked Cyrus to offer my condolences to your mother, as I was to remain at home. I'm very ill, you see," she smiled slightly before her expression became more somber, "While I do hate to hear what has become of your father, I actually only came here to see if I could find you. I didn't know if I would have another opportunity."

Regulus gestured around them so as to indicate the church, "you came _here_ to find me?"

She laughed quietly, "No, I was disillusioned near the cemetery's entrance. I followed you here."

Regulus quirked an eyebrow, and smiled slightly, "You've become quite the little stalker, haven't you?"

She shoved him gently and somehow managed to give the equivalent of rolling her eyes without actually doing it. A skill she alone had seemed to have mastered.

"I wanted to make sure you weren't self-destructing or anything. Merlin knows your father was the only reasonably sane person in your immediate family."

Nearly anyone else who dared make a comment like that about his family would have been retaliated against. Though as he and Cassie had discussed both of their family's mutual flaws in this regard, her comment didn't bother him.

He looked away from the stained glass window he had been studying to find her eyes on him, with an indecipherable look on her face.

"Just because you can't be at the funeral is no reason you can't say goodbye properly," she then stood and walked to the front of the church.

Regulus didn't know what she was talking about, but followed her to the front of the church anyway. He watched her pick up an unlit candle from a table where dozens of other candles sat. Some were lit and others were not, though Regulus had no idea what the significance of any of them were.

She sat the candle on the altar directly in front of where Regulus stood, "Some religions light candles in memory of a loved one who has passed away. I can only assume this church is one that partakes in that custom," she said gesturing to the other candles.

She pulled out her wand and lit the candle. "Would you like to say a few words?"

Regulus looked at her blankly. He felt completely out of place inside the church. Besides that, he did not think his father would want to be honored by any sort of muggle custom.

Judging his expression correctly, Cassie said,

"This is more for you than for your father."

Regulus nodded and became vaguely aware that Cassie had gently grasped his hand. He stared into the flame of the candle as Cassie stated,

"We're here to say goodbye to Orion Black. Beloved father, husband, brother, brilliant businessman… and so much more. He never failed to provide for his family. He was also fiercely protective of those in his household… He always did what he believed to be the best for them… He taught his children the values he believed in and conducted himself in a manner he believed to be right… He also had excellent manners.

Regulus sniggered involuntarily at what she had resorted to for the sake of being complimentary. At least she was being honest. To have made things up to make him sound better than he was would have been insulting as far as he was concerned.

"He was flawed and imperfect as we all are. Despite this, he never wavered from his beliefs- He was who he was without apology. He will be missed," Cassie finished.

It was a simple gesture, albeit slightly awkward. Still, it was far better than what he would have done otherwise. Even if he had gone to the funeral he would have been surrounded by people who couldn't care less about his father.

Whoever had been asked to speak at the funeral would have focused on his father's contributions to society. By contributions they would have been implying the amount of gold he had paid as a bribe, to get certain laws passed or some other questionable business strategy. Here in the church of some faith he did not know, incredibly simple yet honest words were spoken in honor of his father. It meant more to him than he would ever express aloud.

He squeezed Cassie's hand slightly before releasing it and said 'thanks' softly with a half-smile. She knew him well enough to know that was likely the most response she was going to get from him. She smiled back at him gently before the smile turned into a smirk,

"So… are you ready to tell me everything yet?"

* * *

><p>All feedback is appreciated, thanks!<p> 


	28. Calm Before the Storm

I don't own Harry Potter... Happy New Year!

* * *

><p>Sirius stood with James at the back of the crowd gathered for Orion Black's funeral. He was tall enough to see over the heads of nearly everyone. Regulus, only being slightly shorter than Sirius, would have been easily visible over most of the other attendees. Sirius had been closely examining each person that was around the same build as Regulus.<p>

Obviously anyone he recognized was not Regulus- unless he had used polyjuice potion. Sirius thought it highly unlikely that Regulus would go to such lengths just to avoid him. None of the few remaining candidates (people around Regulus' size that Sirius did not recognize) exuded the quiet elegance that Regulus naturally possessed. He therefore thought it unlikely that his brother was in attendance at all.

Regulus' absence left Sirius rather mystified. Few things were more obligatory than the funeral of one's own father. Sirius had been disowned and he was still there- albeit he only came to find his brother. Regulus was the golden child in their family and funerals were tradition. Skimping on tradition seemed profoundly un-Regulus.

The funeral was nearly exactly as Regulus' had been. Many of the same attendees were there, though there was definitely a decrease in younger people and an increase in those nearer to his father's age, as expected. Still, the affair was just as pointless as Regulus' had been in that most were only there because they wanted to be believed more closely linked to the Black family and therefore more important than they really were.

Sirius wondered how many of the attendees realized that he was now the head of the family. He thought it likely that many had not yet made the connection, less they would not have bothered to come at all. No one in attendance would have preferred a blood traitor like him to become the head of the Black family over Regulus. Sirius could not deny that his brother was far better fit to become the head of the family based on their family's traditions. Sirius despised traditions. Regulus had always stood by them, regardless of how stupid they were.

Sirius hadn't bothered to hear the name of the man officiating. He vaguely recognized him as someone his father had been politically allied with. Orion didn't have anyone he would actually consider to be a friend. The speaker was quite eloquent it seemed, as he had been expertly sugarcoating all of their father's underhanded dealings over the years for the past fifteen minutes.

Sirius had stopped listening about thirty seconds into the speech, though there was no doubt it was designed to make Orion Black sound like the upstanding citizen that he certainly was not. Sirius couldn't believe that Regulus would willingly miss out on an opportunity to hear someone besides himself giving such praise to the Black family. Traditionally, the Black's were as disliked as they were powerful. That spoke volumes about their reputation as a whole, considering they had been among the most influential families in Britain for centuries.

Sirius hadn't seen or heard from his brother in days. There had been no sign of him returning to his apartment. Their uncle Alphard's house was empty. Sirius knew he had had the clothes they had bought in Knightsbridge shrunken in his pocket when they last parted. Still, even with new clothes, Regulus was far too particular about hygiene to rely on cleaning spells alone. He would not have stayed any place where he was unable to take a shower at the least. He could have holed himself up in a muggle hotel or something, but Sirius suspected he would not resort to that so easily.

Sirius was reluctantly coming to the conclusion that his comments had been enough to drive his brother out of the country. He was so disappointed in Regulus- and himself, that he nearly forgot to be irritated that he had attended the funeral for no reason. A few moments before it was quite acceptable to leave, he nudged James and the pair of them began discreetly preparing themselves to leave before everyone else.

Once they made their way safely out of the cemetery, James once again suggested they go to a pub. He said it was for Sirius to 'drown his sorrows properly this time.' While he refrained from saying as much, Sirius got the impression that James was even less impressed with Sirius' pummeling of the Hufflepuff prick, now that he knew Regulus had been alive the whole time, go figure.

Sirius vaguely considered reminding James that it was much too early to be drinking because… well it was. Instead of making that sentiment known though, Sirius agreed to go along with him. He thought it likely only a matter of time before James would bring up Regulus again. He was trying to at least do all he could now to appease his friend.

Sirius insisted he needed to go somewhere first. He feebly attempted to get James to go and 'pick up' Remus and then meet him at their favorite bar. James wasn't having it though, he was instead insisting that he accompany Sirius to wherever he needed to go and waiting for him to finish his business. They would then both go and get Remus together.

Only this morning Sirius had been wishing James would be less trusting. Now that he was, Sirius was finding it to be incredibly annoying. Surprisingly though, when Sirius admitted that stopping by Regulus' apartment was the 'errand' he needed to run, James did not comment. Instead he adopted a rather calculating look, which led Sirius to believe the time for his outburst was fast approaching. Sirius began then to question whether going with James for drinks was such a good idea- unfortunately he had already agreed.

Due to the relatively mild temperature and bright sunshine, even more muggles than usual were out and about today. While the weather was a nice change, the crowds had resulted in there not being a good place to disapparate. The pair of them set off towards Regulus' apartment on foot.

James waited outside as Sirius went up to the apartment. He needn't have bothered to go. Regulus still was nowhere to be found. Sirius felt even more disappointed since he was now convinced that his brother really had left the country. He also couldn't help the annoyance he felt for the way he had taken up for Regulus in front of James. Not because Regulus hadn't deserved another chance- but because Sirius had told James that Regulus was willing to die to bring down Voldemort. Nothing would restore his brother's reputation as anything besides a coward in James' eyes after this.

His mood being as it was, he truly was in need of a drink by the time he went back outside to meet James again.

* * *

><p>Regulus sat with Cassie, back in their original seats at the back of the church. Due to their proximity, they were infinitely safer to remain inside the church until all of the stragglers from the funeral left. Even if they disguised themselves as muggles, there was no guarantee they wouldn't be cursed into oblivion considering who most of the attendees were.<p>

'So… are you ready to tell me everything yet?' Cassie had asked. Regulus refused to tell her everything-it wasn't safe for her to know all of the things that had happened. Her knowing of his survival put her in more danger than Regulus wanted. Besides that, her family was considered neutral in the war. While he trusted Cassie and even Cyrus to a lesser extent- their father was far more 'dark' than his 'neutral' reputation portrayed.

Cassie had given him a long-suffering sigh at his admittance of wanting to protect her; though she was clearly unsurprised by it. He had stepped in on her behalf on more than one occasion when they had been at school. After Cyrus had graduated, it had not been particularly uncommon for one of their more ambitious housemates to become a bit… aggressive in their efforts to win over her affections.

Fortunately, she seemed to have decided that being blissfully unknowing of everything for the time being was not the worst thing in the world… for now. Regulus suspected her tolerance of secrets would not last for long. She was usually not one to be willingly 'kept in the dark'. For now though, she was asking only questions that could be answered fairly easily.

Her last question had been what he had been doing since his father's death. He had just finished explaining that he had been researching the Fidelius charm to determine if it would be beneficial to add to the protections at Grimmauld Place.

"I can see the issue with using yourself as secret keeper. But it seems like an awful lot of unnecessary effort to create a variation of the Fidelius… Why not just ask someone you trust to be the secret keeper?"

"Not many people care too much about my mother's safety… I wouldn't trust any of the people who supposedly do either."

"What about Sirius?"

Regulus raised an eyebrow, "Do you have any idea how many times he has threatened to kill her himself? I know he wouldn't actually do it… but he's far too much of a loose cannon to be secret keeper. He's liable to blurt out the address in a fit of rage or something."

Cassie nodded vaguely as she considered his words.

"Well… it doesn't have to be someone that 'supposedly cares for your mother's safety', it just has to be someone you trust. I suppose I could do it… I highly doubt anyone would ever even suspect me."

Regulus studied her briefly to determine whether she was being serious or not. Seeing no traces of humor in her face, he concluded it was a genuine offer.

"No," he answered firmly.

"Why not? No offense, but my life expectancy is probably better than yours, since I'm from a neutral family and you- well…" She grimaced. "Besides that, you said you're worried about her being isolated. This way I could tell my mother the address. You wouldn't object to her visiting, would you?"

"Don't our mothers secretly hate each other?"

"Well… yes. But they spend nearly every Sunday together having tea and gossiping. That has to count for something."

Regulus looked at her amusedly, "I don't really think your mother is a good influence on mine."

Cassie laughed quietly, "…You definitely have that backwards."

"I don't. Your mother is a closet muggle lover. How do you think my mother would react to that if she knew?"

"Closet muggle lover? She has a small, vanishing room in our manor that she happened to fill with muggle literature... That hardly makes her a secret muggle lover."

"What else would you call it then?" Regulus asked with a smirk.

"She's just… cultured! Besides if I remember correctly, you've borrowed many a book from her collection. What does that make you?"

"I only read them to maintain my sanity. Our housemate's incessant discussions on the best methods for muggle torture could be extremely grating. Especially after seven years of their progressively maturing… imaginations."

"You still read them. You called it your 'miniature rebellion' …If I remember correctly."

"So long as I didn't enjoy them, it means nothing."

Regulus expected she might mention that she had seen Sirius and him in a muggle bookstore the other day… fortunately he was spared from having to explain that little excursion.

"Well I think your mother should be grateful that my mother was unknowingly able to assist you in maintaining your sanity. Perhaps I'll mention it to her so that she can pass the information along to your mother."

"You wouldn't."

"Why not? It's not like she can murder you in your sleep or anything. She believes you're already dead."

Regulus winced but remained silent.

"Do you really think your mother would be against you if she knew? I mean… all she has left now is Sirius…"

"I don't know how she would react to be honest. She isn't exactly known for her forgiving tendencies. My father might have been more sympathetic. He never said as much, but I could tell he was less than thrilled with what all being a death eater actually involved. And that was without him even knowing the worst of it." Regulus shuddered involuntarily, "I can't risk the wrong people finding out I'm alive right now. As you might have noticed, the wrong people pretty well encompasses my entire family."

Cassie studied his face for a moment, before asking,

"It doesn't sound like you have been with Sirius very much in the past couple of days. Where was he while you were doing everything the head of the family should have been doing?"

"I haven't seen him since we heard the news of our father's death. He made some crude remarks about it- which we had a row about. I expected that even he would have been above mocking the deceased. Apparently I was wrong."

She shook her head absently, after a pause she said,

"Well, it seems Sirius has been making some effort to be back in your life at any rate... You're the only one that can decide whether or not he actually deserves your forgiveness. Not just for his comments about your father, but for everything. Whether it was intentional or simply due to his absence, there's no doubt he helped make your life more difficult than it had to be.

"I don't know if there could ever be a reconciliation between Sirius and your mother- they are both too stubborn for their own good. It's funny that Sirius tells everyone he is nothing like the rest of your family- I think he is exactly like your mother in some ways. They both say cruel things… though its more to hide their own hurt than because they actually mean most of it.

"You aren't like the rest of your family, Reg. Family means more to you than anything- not just those that haven't been disinherited at some point, but ALL of your family. Don't let Sirius take advantage of that either."

Cassie was then looking at him expectantly. He nodded briefly. When it was evident he wasn't going to comment on what she had said, she carried on with her inquisition,

"So who does know you're alive, anyway? You said too many were finding out."

"As far as I know, only You, Evan, Sirius, Dumbledore and Mad Eye Moody. I think Lily Potter and Remus Lupin are suspicious though. They will tell James Potter if they figure it out, I'm sure," he answered distastefully.

"So you haven't actually told anyone then? That's just the people who have figured it out, I'm guessing."

"Well Evan and Sirius were in on my 'murder'. Dumbledore knew about it beforehand, though not the details nor of Evan's involvement. He did not approve of me faking my death, but didn't intervene at least. Moody can see through my glamor with his creepy eye, so that was inevitable."

"What was Dumbledore's suggestion, since he was against faking your death?"

"Remaining a death eater, though turning spy for The Order of the Phoenix."

She scoffed, "Seems rather pointless considering how long you've wanted out of the death eaters."

Her comment was made rhetorically, though it left Regulus trying to remember when he had ever mentioned anything to Cassie about wanting out of the death eaters. He had said he was tired of hearing about the war, and of pureblood supremacy incessantly. That didn't mean much- even Evan had expressed similar sentiments on occasion while they were at school.

Regulus had never been straightforward enough with anyone to tell them that he specifically wanted out of the death eaters while he was still one of their number. The closest he had come to admitting that to anyone, had been to Rachel. Even then, he had only implied as much. It wasn't until after he had woken up from his near-drowning experience that he had actually admitted he wanted out in so many words. Before he could ask how she drew that conclusion though, she had asked another question.

"What about Rachel? Does she know?"

"I've talked to her a couple of times as 'Marcus'. As far as I know she doesn't suspect anything."

"Are you going to tell her?"

"When an opportunity presents itself, yes, I plan to."

Cassie resumed her thoughtful expression for a moment before answering, "You should make an opportunity present itself. Soon."

"Maybe… Interesting coming from you though. I never got the impression you liked Rachel all that much."

"I've never once said anything bad about her. I don't even dislike her. It's just… you two come from completely different worlds…" she shook her head, "That's irrelevant though, especially now. You need to tell her so that you can move forward."

Regulus looked at her blankly as he considered her words. She again gave the effect of rolling her eyes without actually doing it.

"You've been apart since June, though you only actually broke up with her because of your family, right?" she asked though without waiting for him to answer she continued, "You've not been with anyone seriously since then because you knew you were going to be forced into an arranged marriage, so it would have been rather pointless to start anything by then. Your supposed death has freed you of any marriage arrangement… but until you figure out how you feel about her- you are going to be unable to move forward- with her or with anyone else."

Regulus contemplated what she said for a moment, "I guess I can see your point… in a way."

After he failed to elaborate, Cassie used a singsong voice that made her sound much younger than her natural age, and that few people would ever believe she was capable of,

"Are you in love with her?" She then resumed her normal voice and stated, "I've no doubt you love her. But is it the nostalgic, 'I'll always have feelings for my first love' type of thing? Or are you actually IN love with her?"

Regulus considered the question as Cassie patiently waited. He was vaguely aware that the length of time it was taking him to answer would likely discount any response that was affirmative in nature. Instead he answered honestly,

"I've no reason not to be."

Cassie gave him a half-smile, "All the more reason for you to tell her you're alive then. Whether you are actually meant to be together or not doesn't matter now. You won't be able to move on, one way or the other, until you sort out how you feel about her."

"Not that it would even matter- if she doesn't feel the same," Regulus pointed out.

An emotion he didn't quite recognize flickered across Cassie's face but before he could ask what it was about, she stood up.

"I think we have given the stragglers of the funeral enough time to clear out by now."

Regulus stood as well. They were both of the unspoken agreement that disapparating from inside the church was a bad idea. Regulus opened the door just enough to peek outside. Seeing no one he recognized, he pushed it open more widely and they walked out.

Regulus vaguely wondered if she should be seen with him in public. When he asked her as much she assured him that as her family was considered neutral and he was still relatively unknown, it wasn't a big deal. Though since she was supposed to be at home, sick, it would be better to stick to muggle London.

The cemetery being near the London Borough of Islington, meant they were only a short walk away from Grimmauld Place. Regulus absently began leading them in that general direction, until Cassie realized what he was doing. She then caught his elbow and redirected him. Apparently she thought now was the worst possible time for a casual stroll of that particular area. He couldn't argue with her, seeing as there was likely a reception there following the funeral.

He was content to walk with her through London, as it was an unseasonably warm day, and because it was the first normal thing he had done in what seemed like forever. Still, he couldn't shake the idea that she was much better off not being seen with him. He told her as much and she resignedly agreed to go somewhere less public. Deciding Sirius would have given up on finding him by now, Regulus suggested Evan's old apartment (it would have taken longer to figure out how to give her access to his uncle Alphard's house). After finding a secluded alley, he apparated them to an area that was generally secluded near Evan's old apartment.

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><p>Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think!<p> 


	29. Storm-ish

I don't own Harry Potter.

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><p>As Regulus and Cassie walked towards Regulus' apartment building, he began to absently twirl the handle of his wand, hidden inside the pocket of his coat. As they walked, he was surreptitiously checking their surroundings for potential threats, while silently reminding himself of the counter spells needed to give Cassie access to Evan's old apartment.<p>

As they rounded the corner leading to his building's entrance, Regulus immediately noticed the unwelcomed presence of James Potter. The older wizard was leaning casually against the brick of his apartment building like he owned the place. He would have appeared entirely relaxed with his position, if he had not been so obviously studying each person in his proximity. He was clearly much more alert than he was trying to portray.

Despite this, Regulus and Cassie noticed him before he noticed them. They could easily turn the corner and not have to deal with him- and likely avoid Sirius as well. Cassie looked at Regulus, clearly intending to follow his lead. Despite it being hidden, he knew that she too had her wand at the ready.

Regulus was unsure if James knew his true identity by now or not. Either way, Regulus nor 'Marcus' had last parted with him on the best of terms. Regardless of that, he wasn't going to hide from him. Especially when the older wizard was standing outside _his_ apartment. Regulus wanted to know what other information Sirius had given him since his place of residence was clearly no longer a secret.

Regulus nodded slowly, indicating his intent to continue towards the apartment. When James saw them he immediately pushed himself off the wall and stood straight as he turned to face them.

"What are you doing here?" Regulus asked him in a passably neutral tone. He had no doubt that James was also armed, though from his position, it seemed he had opted to hide his wand inside the sleeve of his coat. Things like wands generally drew a lot of unwanted attention on the middle of a muggle sidewalk, after all.

"Waiting for Sirius. He went inside to look for you, _Regulus."_

Cassie inhaled sharply, but otherwise did not show any reaction, nor did Regulus as he stated,

"Ah. Sirius told you then," Regulus remarked in a forced casual tone though his insides were boiling.

"Of course he did. He is practically my _brother_. It would have been like stabbing his wand in my back to have kept something like that from me," James said arrogantly.

Regulus easily ignored James' comment about Sirius being his brother as he had heard it so many times before. Cassie sighed exasperatedly and shook her head at his choice of words and the reminiscence they brought forth, causing Regulus to have to hide a smirk.

The majority of students, especially girls, had thought the self-named 'marauders' (mostly Sirius and James) deserved adoration, and constantly sought their attention. It was not lost on everyone though, what their frolics through the corridors, and overall chumminess could have easily and inadvertently implied. The rumors of their potential more-than-platonic relationship was not helped by them constantly being overheard making comments to each other that could easily support the rumors.

Obviously they were more of a joke than anything. Sirius' obvious fondness of girls was as widely known as James' obsession with Lily Evans. Still, the potential implications of their actions had been an ongoing joke within the house of snakes for years. Regulus had secretly always hated hearing them, seeing as the jokes were rooted from Sirius and James' closeness. Obviously he would never admit that aloud.

It seemed the marauders must have only pretended to be oblivious to the way they portrayed themselves school, however. For James had no difficulty recognizing his comment as being the source of Cassie's derision. He narrowed his eyes at the blonde, "Who knew the Ice Queen would be fond of such crass euphemisms?"

"Don't call her that," Regulus said venomously as he began stalking towards the older wizard. "You know her name- you've known her nearly as long as I have. I feel it prudent though to remind you that Sirius and I have little in common. Meaning, if you cross me I am not going to retaliate with some infantile prank as he would."

"Please, 'if I cross you', it will be to ensure you are locked up in Azkaban for life. It's where all death eaters belong, after all." James remarked scathingly.

Regulus answered in a slow and threatening tone, "You know nothing a memory charm couldn't fix. If it comes to that, I'll be inclined to obliviate a bit more than strictly necessary- to ensure I don't miss anything, of course. I'll try to keep it so you still remember your own name. Beyond that- I make no promises."

"It's too bad for you then, that I'm not the only person he told," James smirked.

"Fortunately I've no qualms about treating your wife and the werewolf to the same treatment then."

James' expression quickly flashed from anger to surprise before settling on extremely angry as he looked from Regulus to Cassie and back.

"Sirius told you about Remus?"

"Would that be so surprising? He actually is _my_ brother."

"I don't believe you."

"Check the records at the ministry then. We have the same mum and dad- everything," Regulus said impishly and with a smirk. Despite his own anger, he quite enjoyed the obvious indignation on Potter's face.

Regulus had already been standing just outside what would be considered one's personal space. After his last jibe though, it was James that closed the gap. He had just brandished his wand when he was stopped by Sirius,

"What the bloody hell is going on out here?" he bellowed.

The few muggles that were nearby had been pretending not to notice the apparent fight that was about to break out. Sirius' booming voice though had made it impossible for them to continue ignoring them. After casting furtive glances in their direction, they all began to scamper away rather quickly.

James tucked his wand out of sight and took a step away from Regulus, who hadn't even bothered to draw his wand. He had instead cast a shield charm with his wand still in his pocket. Given their close proximity, the shield would have undoubtedly caused James to be hit by his own spell. Regulus was a bit disappointed he did not get to see what Potter was going to curse himself with.

Appearing completely unaffected by their near skirmish, Regulus glanced at Sirius before answering in what would have been a casual voice, "Just a friendly discussion between old school mates."

"Reg, what are you doing here? I thought you had -" Sirius started to demand.

"What am_ I_ doing here? What are you doing here and with _him_?" Regulus interrupted.

"I came here looking for you. Where have you been? I've been worri-"

"I think I'll keep that information to myself, considering how quick you were to give away my previous location."

"James isn't going to tell anyone-"

"I wouldn't make any promises you can't keep, Pads. Especially after the way your death eater of a brother has been threatening me and my family," James cut in.

"I am not a death eater," Regulus said firmly in a low voice. This was not a conversation for public consumption. Unfortunately the only solution to that problem was allowing James Potter access to Evan's apartment. Even if he could remove his access immediately afterwards, it felt far too intrusive.

"Notice he didn't bother to deny he had been threatening my family." James said to Sirius before turning back to Regulus, "I don't care what you've managed to convince Sirius or even Dumbledore of. No one can do whatever is required to become a death eater and then back out. Voldemort probably made you make an unbreakable vow or something. The fact that you are still alive is pretty indicative of your loyalties in my opinion.

Cassie then spoke in a passably neutral but cold tone, "If I may make a suggestion- Nothing is going to be accomplished with the three of you bickering like this. Not to mention, none of this needs to be said _here_," she gestured with an arm to indicate the muggle street. "Perhaps Potter and I should leave-"

"Don't include me in any of your plans. For all I know this is a setup to get Sirius alone so that you can do him in."

"I don't see how assisting in Sirius' murder could be of any benefit to me," Cassie answered coolly.

Apparently realizing her warning had fallen on deaf ears, Cassie began casting privacy wards around them, careful not to look as if she were going to attack any of them.

"Ah yes, neutrality. A polite way of saying you spy for both sides," James countered.

"Cassie is not spying for anyone." Regulus retorted angrily, "In case you haven't noticed, neither side is targeting anyone from the politically neutral families. That's because they do not take sides. Ever. If they did, they could no longer be considered neutral."

"Whatever, I'm not leaving Sirius. I don't trust either of you."

"You can take Sirius and both of you leave for all I care. I have nothing to say to either of you. Though last I remember we had all agreed to stay away from each other. In that case, I'm not sure why the two of you felt the need to show up at my apartment," Regulus said as he began to walk back towards Cassie.

"Yes, that's what cowards do isn't, walk away?" James asked.

Regulus turned around to face him again, "No, it's what a man does when he realizes there is nothing to be gained by staying. Arguing with either of you is pointless."

"Reg, I came here because I wanted to talk to you… I wanted to make sure you were ok... with all that's happened-" he then stopped as if only having just registered Regulus' words. "How can you say there is nothing to be gained by staying? "You're the only one that's managed to figure out how to get rid of Voldemort-"

"Shut up, Sirius! I was talking of leaving here- not the country."

"What do you mean-" James began.

"Shut up, the both of you!" Regulus demanded. Fully aware that privacy wards were not infallible, he brandished his wand and pointed it at them threateningly. He was prepared to cast a silencing spell on the pair of them if either spoke again on the matter.

"I didn't mean to-" Sirius then noticed Cassie's apparent indifference, "You told _her_?" he demanded. "How can you trust a Greengrass with that information? You shouldn't have even told her you are alive. Her family certainly isn't light."

Cassie didn't actually know what Sirius was talking about. She had only managed to appear unaffected by the news of Regulus knowing how to defeat the dark lord, due to years of practice at hiding her emotions. She saw no reason to admit as much to the former Gryffindors though.

"Neither is yours-" Regulus began, but stopped when Cassie spoke up to defend herself.

"I am loyal to the people I care about- regardless of the side they have chosen," she answered with an air of indifference, despite the sentiment.

"Who would have guessed the Ice Queen cared about any- Urgh". James' comment died in his throat as the impact of Cassie's hex hit him, causing his knees to bend in the opposite direction from how they were meant to. As he grimaced in pain and attempted not to fall down, she approached him at an angle that kept James between her and Sirius- leaving the latter unable to do anything besides make indignant comments about the 'unnecessary attack'.

"I recommend you don't call me that again," she said coldly with her wand pointed at his neck. "I would hate for you to witness me behaving as anything less than the perfectly cordial person you see now. Do I make myself plain?"

"Fine, whatever. Just undo it," he ground out through clenched teeth. Taking longer than expressly necessary, Cassie walked back towards Regulus before lazily lifting the hex from him.

Regulus smirked at James' obvious discomfort even after the spell was lifted, "Well, if that's all, I guess we'll be leaving then. Though why either of you want to hang about the outside of my apartment is beyond me."

"No that bloody well isn't all!" Sirius said as he stormed towards his brother, going so far as to grab his arm to prevent him leaving, "You've been avoiding me for days. We need to talk-"

Regulus looked at him in resignation as he pulled his arm away, "I really don't know what you want from me, Sirius. Whatever you want me to be- I'm not. Nor do I care to be. I also am quite tired of hearing your disdain for our family. The family that you are now the head of- I feel I should remind you."

"I want you to at least talk to me. You owe me that- I saved your life!"

Regulus looked at him in disbelief, "Is that why you're so insistent that I conform to your life? That I make friends with yours? All of this time, you've been under the illusion that you did me some great service in rescuing me, and now I should be at the ready to repay you for your intervention? I had every intention to die that night, Sirius."

Seeing his brother's expression he quickly added, "No, I'm not suicidal. Nor did I even want to die then- but I was going to be killed if I didn't kill you. I did what I did because it was the only thing that didn't let _him_ win. I did the only thing I could do to help defeat Voldemort- and it certainly wasn't because I thought he was going to be defeated in my lifetime when I did it… Has it really never occurred to you how you came to find me that night- just in the nick of time?"

Regulus paused to allow Sirius time to consider the question. He actually looked a bit distraught- likely believing Regulus was suicidal. When it was apparent that Sirius wasn't going to answer, Regulus added,

"We hadn't spoken in so long- why the sudden urge to come and find me then, do you think?"

Regulus didn't think he was going to get an answer. Sirius likely would not want to say anything incriminating in front of James. Just as the younger Black was about to give up on getting a response though, Sirius answered thickly, "I wanted to ask you what you were thinking in trying to save me."

Regulus nodded briefly. It was an honest answer, but it wasn't the entire truth whether Sirius realized it or not, "You didn't save my life by some great fluke, Sirius. You were repaying your life-debt to me."

Sirius' eyes were as round as saucers. _Apparently he really hadn't realized the situation for what it was_, Regulus mused. He didn't look at Cassie or James to see their reactions. He thought it unlikely Cassie would visibly show any; He couldn't care less about James'.

"That- can't be right," Sirius said dubiously after an impregnated pause.

"In nearly five years, you never once sought me out. There's no way magic wasn't intervening- the timing was too perfect. At least I had the grace to thank you though, after you saved me. All I ever heard after blocking the killing curse from you was your disdain that it wasn't going to hit you in the first place.

"Do you even fully realize that my action then is why I was given the order to kill you? It was a test of loyalty." Regulus shook his head and added, "I don't owe you anything. And you've given me no reason trust you. You've not kept any of my secrets. You're incapable of doing anything without gaining your friends permission first. You're too afraid of alienating yourself from them to do what is best… for everyone. It was barely over a week before you rushed off to your friends to tell them my identity-"

"They figured it out themselves! Remus and Lily confronted me and James overheard. If you were willing to trust a Greengrass I see no reason why you can't trust-"

"It's my life! I'm the one that is going to have to deal with the consequences of my identity being discovered. Whoever I tell should be my right. It's not up to you to decide what everyone else knows… not my identity and certainly not about anything else I told you!" _Such as figuring out about the horcruxes, _he added to himself.

Regulus didn't even care that James freaking Potter was listening now. He knew Potter would never believe anything that he said was the truth anyway. Regulus was just glad he was at least being quiet for once. Regulus didn't know if he ever wanted to be around his brother again, considering how much blind faith he was putting into his friends to keep secrets that weren't even his to tell. Sirius was trusting his friends with information pertaining to Regulus' well-being, completely overlooking the fact that his friends were not Regulus' friends. They cared nothing about ensuring Regulus was safe, least of all James Potter, whom Sirius had gone so far as to show the exact apartment Regulus had been living in.

Regulus intended to die when went into the cave. When he survived only to fake his death, he knew what the results of that decision would be when he made it. Instead of leaving the country and living a life of ease he had chose to remain in Britain. He had essentially died for the opportunity to change sides in the war. It certainly wasn't the easiest option he could have taken. It did allow him the opportunity to fulfill what his conscience told him was right- something he had not done in quite some time before then.

Still, as much as he had hated being a death eater, not everything in his life had been bad. He had still had his family, though without Sirius. That may not have been such a bad thing in retrospect. His family had been far from loving, but they had set him up rather nicely. He had had friends. He realized now that even though he knew what he was losing when he gave it up- he had never properly grieved the life he had lost. It was now taking nearly all he had to appear indifferent.

"I'm not sure that it wouldn't have been easier for me to have just died in that cave. At least then I could be finished with this-pretending to be someone I'm not. You mocking the family that I can only wish I were still a part of it… you changing your opinion of me at every turn of the hat… none of that helps anything… I didn't fake my death to save my own skin. I had to be believed dead to have the chance to fight back. If I were going to leave the country I would have already done it by now…I don't know what the hell else you want from me, Sirius. Voldemort has already taken everything I ever had."

It was a huge admittance- and not quite what Regulus had intended to say. Regulus had felt some sort of depression setting in ever since he first began his speech. Whatever had caused the feelings of hopelessness, Regulus thought had likely contributed to his depressing and overly honest speech. Naturally it was met with silence. Regulus refused to look at anyone while doing his best to look as if the pronouncement had not cost him nearly as much as it had. He was surprised therefore, when he was engulfed in a hug. Especially when it was obviously not from Cassie, but from Sirius.

Regulus had not ever hugged many people… certainly not any grown men that he could remember. Even though it was his brother, or maybe even more because it was his brother, he remained far too rigid for the action to have felt natural. Regulus couldn't help but think something more than a hug was needed to renew his opinion of Sirius at the moment. Still, he recognized the gesture for what it was. Sirius would never fully articulate his feelings aloud- especially not with an audience. While some sort of assurance that things would be different would have been nice, Regulus didn't think words would have been enough now either. Sirius needed to earn back Regulus' trust through his actions. Nothing else would suffice.

After Sirius released him, Cassie immediately wrapped her arms around him, "He can only take everything from you if you let him," she whispered into his ear. He relaxed much more easily into her hug, but when he looked at her he was surprised to find her glaring at Sirius.

"What?" Sirius asked innocently.

"Surely there is something you want to say."

"Like what?" he asked with obvious apprehension.

"Anything… an apology at the least-"

"An apology?" James asked, "Who is Sirius supposed to be apologizing to?"

"I- I was going to talk to him later," Sirius answered sheepishly, looking from Cassie to Regulus and then down at his feet- clearly avoiding James' gaze.

"You can't be serious. Apologize to _him_? For what? Sirius already helped him escape the death eaters... Even if we turned him in now, I'm sure your family would have no problem paying someone off to keep him out of Azkaban. He isn't being punished for any of his actions- He should be the one who apologizes. Yet, I didn't hear anything remotely apologetic in the things he just said. He was just blaming Sirius for all his problems. I'll concede that he no longer wants Voldemort to remain in control… obviously, since he would be killed for being a traitor. But what happens when he can't remain safely hidden behind his Marcus façade? What happens if Voldemort finds out who he is? How long then, Regulus, before you flee the country?"

"He's my brother... I don't need a list of all his past transgressions in order to forgive them- He doesn't owe me, or you, or anyone an explanation for the past. He's already doing all he can to rectify it. If Voldemort finds out who he is… if he wants to leave- That's his decision. He wouldn't be the first or the last to do so. It wouldn't change the fact that his is still my brother."

Regulus was somewhat appeased by what Sirius had said. He was vaguely aware that James was continuing to argue with Sirius though Regulus was unable to focus on what they were saying. He was distracted by an unnatural coldness that had forced itself into his bones. Looking up, he saw the sun was still brightly shining, though slightly lower in the sky from when he had last noticed it. Not nearly enough time had passed for the change in temperature to be natural.

A moment later and a nearly overwhelming sadness had settled itself into Regulus' core. Cassie seemed to have noticed the change of atmosphere faster than the oblivious and arguing boys. Regulus saw her adjust her coat so that it was more securely around her as she began looking towards the sky. His suspicions were confirmed when the familiar rattling breaths could be heard just before the black silhouettes of dementors appeared over Regulus' apartment building.

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><p>Please leave me a review to let me know what you think. Thanks so much for reading!<p> 


	30. Friendly Fire

Thank you all so much for reading, following, adding to favorites, and for your reviews- feedback is welcomed and very helpful! I made a few changes to the last chapter but not enough that you would have to re-read if you don't want to. Hope you enjoy!

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><p>"I just don't get it!" James exclaimed, "You stood by and watched as Peter was arrested. <em>Your brother <em>was the one that said he needed to deal with the consequences of joining the death eaters. Do you really think he deserves a different fate himself?"

"He is dealing with the consequences! Can you not see that? Regulus was raised in a household that supported Voldemort-"

"So were you!"

"Yes, but I had you and Remus and even Peter. I had everyone else in Gryffindor to help me see the ignorance of my family's beliefs. Regulus didn't have any of that- No one forced him out of the death eaters! When he left it was his decision. He wanted to do what was right even when it meant giving up everything in the process. He wants Voldemort destroyed- probably even more than you do! Peter never knew anything but the love of his family and the support of his friends. He turned his back on everyone he supposedly cared about because he is a coward. Do not compare Regulus to Peter!"

"No one wants Voldemort defeated more than I do! Yes, Peter is a coward- but Regulus isn't particularly brave hiding behind his 'Marcus' disguise, is he? If he were truly brave he would face Voldemort as himself."

"The disguise is necessary-" Sirius began before stopping himself.

He wanted to refute James' statement but since Regulus made it clear he didn't want anyone else knowing anything about the horcruxes- defending his disguise was more difficult. He looked at Regulus then, realizing he had been awfully quiet considering the whole argument had been about him. Upon seeing Regulus it was obvious that he had not been listening to them at all. Following his gaze, Sirius saw why. He had attributed the feelings of sadness that he felt to his argument with James, but obviously the two dementors overhead were playing a role in his feelings as well.

Sirius had been too distracted to have noticed the dementors until they were directly above them. As the pair innocently passed over, it was as if they were oblivious to their presence. Sirius wondered if the privacy wards were effective on dementors. James apparently noticed them around the same time as Sirius.

He had pulled his wand, clearly about to cast his patronus when Regulus put his hand on James' arm to stop him,

"They aren't attacking us."

"Yes, which means they are going to attack someone else. Probably muggles that can't defend themselves," James spat as he jerked his arm away.

"They wouldn't have ignored us if they weren't entranced. I doubt they were alone. We shouldn't draw attention to ourselves- at least not yet," Regulus said quietly.

Sirius agreed with Regulus that the two dementors probably weren't alone. Even after they flew out of sight, the chill in the air and feeling of hopelessness remained. His theory was proven right a few moments later when two more dementors appeared above them. Just as the pair before, they ignored their potential meal on the ground and continued to migrate north. As Regulus had said, it was as if they were entranced.

Sirius remarked, "If there's only two of them at a time, it won't be any trouble to get rid of them."

He was just about to cast his patronus when Regulus stopped him as well, "Just wait," he said firmly. Sirius was confused by his hesitation but since they weren't being attacked, chose not to argue.

After ensuring no one was going to attack the dementors, Regulus walked out of the confines of the privacy wards. When he was a safe distance away from the others, he began an intricate wand movement that Sirius did not recognize. A moment later and an enormous cloud of black erupted from Regulus' wand, leaving what appeared to be a dementor staring him in the face.

"Well that spell should be illegal," Sirius remarked to the others before walking outside of the privacy wards to find out what the hell Regulus was doing. As Sirius approached Regulus, he could have sworn the newly formed dementor had nodded before flying into the sky heading north.

"What the bloody hell are you doingt?" Sirius demanded.

Regulus looked at him and shook his head, "An experiment. No idea if it'll work."

He then returned his gaze to the sky in the direction his dementor had gone, clearly unwilling to say anymore on the subject.

Sirius looked back at James and noticed that Cassie was still there, looking in the direction of Regulus' dementor. It was as if she too expected it to return. If her desire was to remain neutral in the war she didn't need to be caught with two Order members and… whatever Marcus could be considered. He was very surprised she had not already left.

James was looking at the sky in the direction the dementors had come from, likely anticipating more were on their way.

After several minutes of waiting, Sirius was fairly certain that whatever Regulus had attempted did not work. He was just about to mention this observation, when a dementor came into view from the north and quickly approached them. Sirius could only assume it was the same dementor that Regulus had conjured since Regulus made no effort to fight it.

Regulus nodded at his dementor as if in gratitude? Sirius shook his head, 'Why would anyone ever be grateful to a dementor?' The dementor and Regulus seemed to have entered some sort of staring contest then, though dementors did not actually have eyes as far as Sirius could tell.

Sirius was unsure if his hopeless feelings at the moment were more from the presence of the dementor or from his brother's obviously failed experiment. Either way, it was entirely too depressing to be near either of them. He took a few steps away from them due to that fact. He kept his wand carefully trained on the dementor though, just in case it decided to attack.

A minute later Sirius was extremely glad he had stepped away when Regulus decided a different approach might yield better results. Sirius could practically see Regulus' unspoken compulsion charm coming off of him in waves. Sirius wasn't sure if he was compelling the dementor not to attack them or something else. As the charm was not aimed in his direction, it was difficult to tell what its exact purpose was. It seemed like a huge waste of effort if it was only to keep the dementor from attacking though. He knew at least three of them were capable of casting patronuses.

Regulus shook his head and asked, "Toys… What?"

Sirius assumed that Regulus had sent the dementor to the others to find out where they were going, but was now struggling to get that information from his dementor. "How do dementors even communicate?" Sirius wondered aloud. No one bothered answering him, not that Sirius expected them to. The only one of them who might have known was Regulus and he probably hadn't even heard the question.

Sirius had soon become mesmerized by Regulus and the dementor's interaction. Just thinking about what the thoughts of a dementor must be like made Sirius shudder involuntarily. He rather hoped Regulus' new baby dementor did not have similar thoughts to the ones that had been 'living' under Voldemort's regime.

A few more moments of Regulus' seemingly hopeless efforts resulted in him transfiguring his dementor into what was clearly meant to be a patronus. Whether it was intended or not Sirius didn't know, but the patronus remained in the shape of a dementor. The rough voice that spoke was raspy and whatever it said was unrecognizable. After repeating the nonsensical message again, it dissipated into the air.

Regulus had been too engrossed in his experiment to notice the others had joined him and had therefore heard the message. Sirius, feeling the need cheer him up after his failed experiment remarked,

"It was a brilliant spell even if it didn't work. I'm pretty sure conjuring dementors would be illegal if the ministry knew it was possible though."

Regulus looked at him with a mildly disgusted look on his face before looking around at the others. Sirius guessed his expression was residual from having delved through the dementor's thoughts. Sirius couldn't blame him for it if that were the case.

"All I could get from the dementor was images…revolting images..." He shook his head, "I used compulsion in effort to get it to focus on where the other dementors told they were going. It kept showing a train, but it was like a toy train- more of a caricature than anything real. I think that must be how dementor's minds process things. They aren't known for being particularly clever… what train would be attacked today though?"

Sirius and James exchanged a significant look before immediately casting their own patronuses and talking amongst each other rapidly- their argument clearly forgotten for the time being.

Regulus watched them in bemusement and stated, "Clearly I've missed something."

Cassie nodded, "It'll be the Hogwarts Express. The term was meant to resume Monday, but the school governors decided to postpone the start of classes until tomorrow. The funeral for Edgar Bones and his family was yesterday. His oldest child was a first year Hufflepuff… Between that and Edgar Bones having been the extremely popular auror that he was, there were going to be a lot of students missing classes for the funeral. There was an announcement of the change in _The Prophet_." She would have looked indifferent, had the color not completely drained from her face.

Regulus had not been receiving, _The Prophet_ and had had limited communication with anyone in the past several days. He realized with some annoyance that having spent several days passed out at Gringotts before living his life in relative hiding had affected his perception of time.

He had assumed Hogwarts was already back in session- the last time he had been there was after curfew so he hadn't thought anything about the lack of students running about. Barty Crouch Jr had obviously stayed at school over the winter term (which was extremely lucky for Regulus given the circumstances). Even after talking to him, he hadn't realized the term had not yet began.

Sirius took that moment to interrupt, "We have sent messages to Dumbledore and Remus and they are hopefully going to contact the others… Remus was supposed to have been at King's Cross at the time the train left. The ministry insisted that their aurors alone be responsible for the patrolling of the train while it was in route to Hogwarts. After the stunt from the other night with Peter, Frank Longbottom and MadEye Moody were given a different assignment- which means we do not have any Order members shadowing The Hogwarts Express that we can contact. We are going to go get our brooms and then try to catch up with the train... Are you two coming with us?" he asked Regulus and Cassie.

Any other attack Regulus thought he could have disregarded- especially with his irritation towards most of The Order at the moment. Unfortunately, he found himself unable to ignore the current situation.

The Hogwarts Express had been attacked once before under Voldemort's command. In that attack, the mission had been to abduct the son of a journalist that refused to stop writing horrible things… which is to say the truth- about Voldemort.

The boy at the time had been a seventh year Gryffindor. None of the actual death eaters had needed to board the train in that attack. Delivering him to Bellatrix, undetected had been part of Regulus and Evan's initiation. The boy was then used to lure his father, the offending journalist, into a trap. After he was captured he was forced to watch his son being tortured and eventually murdered before he himself was murdered. Regulus and Evan were rewarded for their successful mission by being allowed to watch the 'entertainment'. Regulus' mental reminiscence made him realize that the nightmares caused by that event had not reoccurred since his stint in the cave. 'Ah, the silver lining,' he thought to himself sardonically.

"I- yeah, I suppose I will go." Again Regulus was pretending to be a member of the Order. He felt he might as well officially join at this rate. This time it was his own guilt that left him unable to avoid the potential battle though.

Turning back to Cassie he winked, "You should get back home. Flying in January is the last thing you need after being as sick as you have been," more in effort to release her from any potential guilt trip Sirius or James would have thought appropriate. She had not actually been sick recently as far as Regulus knew. She would be putting her entire family at risk if she showed up in a battle though- regardless of which side she fought for.

Regulus noticed even through her usual mask of indifference, she looked guilty for not going with them, "Yeah- ok… Be careful," she quickly bid the others 'good luck,' before disapparating.

* * *

><p>Sirius apparated a couple of blocks away from Evan's apartment to Platform nine and three-quarters only to find it empty. He had not expected anyone to be there, but felt he should check just in case. He then apparated to as near his home as the wards around it would allow. As he jogged towards the house that he now shared only with Remus, he considered the things that Regulus had said to him.<p>

Sirius felt extremely guilty for the way he had taken Regulus' trust for granted. In some ways he had been behaving the same way he had when they had been at school and he and Regulus weren't on speaking terms. Now that Regulus had it pointed out to him, he could easily see how Regulus could perceive his actions to mean he did not value his brother's well-being.

He actually wanted to protect his brother as much as possible, he had just taken for granted that his friends would keep Regulus' secret because Sirius wanted them to… honestly Sirius still felt that way but it didn't matter what he thought. It mattered what Regulus thought at this point. As he said, it is his life that is going to be endangered when his identity becomes known.

Sirius was beyond frustrated with James and his inability to get along with Regulus. James had always looked down on anyone that was in Slytherin. Granted, Regulus had been a death eater too, but Sirius didn't know if that even mattered much in James' case. He had admitted his prejudice against Slytherin to Snape on their first ever train ride to Hogwarts. It was interesting because James' parents did not seem to share James' prejudice. Nor did Regulus share their parents' prejudice against all houses apart from Slytherin.

Sirius still remembered the night before Regulus began Hogwarts. He had stated that he believed the attributes valued in all four houses were commendable. He was believed to be the perfect slytherin at school, though when they had pancakes at the Potter's he had defended Hufflepuff when James called it 'the house of the leftovers'. He had discussed muggle literature with former Gryffindors- a muggleborn and a werewolf to boot… By all accounts, he probably should have been a Ravenclaw. Regulus was brave, loyal, intelligent and cunning. It was no wonder he didn't look down on the other houses- he could have fit well into any of them. James was all of those things too, but he was far more hindered by prejudice than Regulus was.

It was even more frustrating because while Regulus didn't like James either- he was content to just stay away from him. Sirius had had to divide his life between his friends and his family ever since he was eleven. He was tired of it and knew the two of them could get along if they would just put aside their differences. Their parents had been the catalyst for destruction in the brothers' relationship. The breakdown between them had allowed James to become an easy substitute for Regulus- but he still wasn't his brother. Sirius had always had either Regulus or James- never both.

It was even ironic when he thought about it. Due to a howler that his mother had sent him after learning he was sorted into Gryffindor, which among other things said she should have smothered him at birth- anytime he received a letter from home the entire school seemed to notice. His ten year old brother's nearly daily letters at the beginning of his first year had been slightly embarrassing to him then. None of the other boys in his dorm had siblings, or terrible parents, so they couldn't really relate to his situation at all. Knowing his brother's life couldn't have been easy at home, and secretly enjoying the contact, Sirius ignored his slight embarrassment and responded to each one of Regulus' letters.

He soon realized that Regulus was not getting the majority of them. For most of his letters asked why he was not writing back to him. It was obvious his mail was being screened and nothing that could be construed as incriminating for their parents would ever reach Regulus. To ensure Regulus got his letters, Sirius would comment that he was really busy and that he would try to write more often. He wrote to Regulus about Hogwarts- its castle, the grounds, the classes- the strange boys in his dorm that were most certainly not as proper as they were.

Sirius quickly determined that the letters in which he complained about things were the ones that Regulus actually received. Each letter that Regulus sent him ended with encouragement that he should to try to make friends with his housemates because he was stuck with them for the next seven years.

Apparently their mother had gone so far as to inquire about having Sirius transferred to another house, but was denied her request. At the time it had felt to Sirius like Regulus was giving him permission to embrace his Gryffindor house. As Regulus was the only person he cared about at the time, his permission had been all he needed to do it. Sirius wondered if Regulus regretted giving him that advice now.

Finally making it inside his house, Sirius grabbed his broom and yelled out briefly to Remus. He quickly walked through the house to be sure, but it was obvious he wasn't there. Sirius didn't know what had become of him after overseeing the Hogwarts Express' departure earlier, but didn't have time to find him now.

It had taken him too long already, having checked the platform for a skirmish before having to jog up the long drive to the house. Regulus and James would have been at the platform long before he could get there. Realizing the two of them were likely going to be alone on the abandoned platform he increased his speed to a sprint. As soon as he made it outside the wards, he apparated back to the train station.

* * *

><p>Regulus ran into his apartment and quickly grabbed his broom. He then disapparated to Platform nine and three quarters which was completely deserted. Shortly after, he was met by James and despite his temptation, resolved himself to ignore him and wait in an awkward silence until Sirius arrived. He was far too self-possessed to begin a duel now when a far bigger threat was looming.<p>

Clearly those thoughts were not reciprocated by James Potter though. A moment after his arrival, Regulus sensed the magic cast from James' direction and ducked on instinct, narrowly missing whatever orange spell James had thrown at him,

"Oops, sorry I mistook you for a death eater," he remarked completely unapologetically.

"I'll just bet you did," Regulus answered angrily as he cast a, 'Reducto' at the bench that was in front of James, sending debris everywhere and taking away the inanimate object that James could have easily used as a shield.

As James attempted to block the splinters of the exploded bench, Regulus cast a banishment charm which hurled James into the brick wall of the platform none-too-gently.

Regulus briefly considered all the reasons they should not continue the battle as he allowed James to stand up shakily. They had arranged to meet here for the purpose of trying to help the Hogwarts students. They should be focused on that. Still, he refused not to defend himself. He also couldn't help but feel this duel between them was long overdue.

Trying not to lean against the wall for support, James transfigured the remnants of the bench that Regulus had exploded. A moment later he sent dozens of jagged pieces of glass sailing towards the youngest Black.

Regulus suspended the glass pieces mid-air. He then quickly consolidated the broken shards, and transfigured the glass into ice before aiming the make shift bludgeon at James' stomach. While the frozen bludgeon was in route he cast a bludgeoning spell to James left and a bone breaker to his right.

James spun to the left to avoid being pierced by the frozen bludgeon, only to be struck by Regulus' bludgeoning spell. The impact of which broke his left arm, and judging by the angle at which his arm now hung, it was broken in more than one place.

Apparently realizing how restricted he was in his current position with his back to a wall, James disapparated. Regulus instantly realized what he was planning to do and disapparated as well.

James re-appeared directly behind where Regulus had previously stood, just before Regulus re-appeared on top of the wall of the platform that James was formerly leaned against.

Having located his new position instantly, James cast a 'reducto' at the wall Regulus was standing on forcing it to crumble beneath him.

Rather than falling into the heap of rubble and being at James' mercy, Regulus levitated the slab he had been standing on and lowered himself towards the ground away from the rubble. Anxious to be in a less compromising position, he jumped down from his perch a little too early and nearly fell directly into James' fire whip that he had conjured.

Forcing his weight away from the fire, Regulus had just enough time to transfigure the whip into a feather before it hit him, which he easily swatted away. Upon ridding himself of the feather, he was immediately forced to roll out of the way of James' body-bind curse.

Rolling up from the ground to his knees Regulus cast two silent spells in quick succession. James easily avoided the first but had not been expecting the second. Upon making contact his acid curse caused James' entire body to erupt in excruciating and blistering burns.

"Argh" James growled.

Regulus had just managed to regain a standing position and cast a shield when James answered with his own series of spells. The first stunner destroyed Regulus' shield but caused him no damage. The second spell Regulus didn't recognize and chose to dodge it, which left him unable to completely avoid the third, a cutting curse, which grazed Regulus' left arm. Fortunately, it didn't feel like it had been particularly damaging.

Ignoring his wound, he sent back his own succession of spells. The first was a silent 'augamenti,' which James jumped out of the way of, obviously expecting it would have been something more offensive than water. The second spell froze the water at James' feet causing him to slide directly into his well-placed gouging spell. The spell effectively gouged a hole through James' right shoulder, though admittedly it was slightly nearer to James' head than he had intended.

"Are you crazy? You could have killed me with that!" James yelled angrily.

"Only if you didn't fall the right way," Regulus said condescendingly, as he silently disarmed the older wizard.

James blinked in surprise. Somehow he had not been expecting that Regulus would choose to disarm him. Regulus vaguely wondered if he might have concussed when he was banished into the wall. He definitely should not have been surprised that Regulus would choose to disarm him at any rate.

"I guess it-wouldn't have- meant much to you- would it? Killing must be like- second- nature by now. What- number would- my- murder- have brought- your- count- up to?" James attempted a scathing tone, though the effect was ruined by his obvious struggle to get the words out through his current pain level.

Regulus observed him for a moment. He looked somewhat grotesque with his angry burnt skin, his bleeding right shoulder and the odd angles his left arm now hung in. He would clearly have struggled to continue in the duel, even if he still had a wand. Regulus supposed he was trying to use his words to fight now, since he had so clearly lost the duel. Regulus was reluctantly impressed by Potter's pain tolerance though. Many would have passed out long before now.

Regulus purposely gave the impression he was ignoring James as he healed the injury to his own left arm, though he was actually taking the time to consider his options. James knew enough about him to cause trouble, though despite his threats, Regulus was unsure if James would really tell anyone his true identity. Regulus didn't trust James, but he did at least like to think that divulging his secret would destroy James' friendship with Sirius. Regulus wasn't sure if anything could actually divide the two permanently, but he thought James might not be willing to risk it, just in case.

Regulus was extremely tempted to obliviate James while they were alone and James was completely helpless. As far as Regulus could tell, James had a less than stellar aptitude for occlumency. By all accounts it was in everyone's best interest for Regulus to obliviate him.

He could rid him of his memory of Sirius' slip of the tongue referencing that Regulus knew how to get rid of Voldemort… of Regulus' near death _in a cave_… it could be damaging information for himself certainly. More importantly it could be damaging for the opposition against Voldemort as a whole. If Voldemort found out someone was stealing horcruxes there's no doubt getting rid of him would become impossibly more difficult than it already was.

Despite the temptation, Regulus found himself unable to actually perform the spell. He had been given a second chance at life. He didn't want to live it by becoming someone who couldn't solve their own problems without altering someone else's memories- at least not someone as relatively helpless as James was at this point.

He thought it might be best to swallow his own pride (which was much easier to do given the result of their duel) and make an effort to reach a truce with James. Regulus had far bigger enemies out there to be fighting with someone who might at least have his back in a battle with death eaters. He decided honesty might be the best place to start,

"You would have been the first."

James looked at him in surprise, clearly not having expected him to answer the question, "Yeah right. You- probably- have to kill- someone just to join."

"Some do." Regulus shrugged, "I didn't."

"You're lying. Why- would they let- you join then? You- probably- weren't- even of age- at the time you joined," James was doing his best not to grimace at the pain he was in.

"Well think about that then. Before I was of age I still had the trace on me. Surely killing someone would have drawn unwanted attention from the ministry… Besides that, what reason do I have to lie to _you_ about it? Your opinion of me could be no lower."

"Can't argue with that. How- many people- have you- tortured then?"

Regulus wrinkled his nose, "Define torture."

James rolled his eyes, "Ugh, you're- impossible."

"Hardly. Think about it. You cast a cutting curse and a fire whip at me. Did you have any intention with those spells besides causing pain? I could have suffered quite a lot from either of them... I could have been killed if either had-"

"Oh come off it. That's ridiculous-"

"It's not. If I'd have moved, or if your aim had been off, I could have been burned alive by your fire whip- if I didn't know how to put out the flames. You can behead someone with a cutting curse."

"You really are twisted, Black," James grit out through clenched teeth. He was obviously in a lot of pain.

"Maybe. But every defensive spell is meant to cause pain… you can't assume you only cause suffering when you use the cruciatus."

"It's different though… The cruciatus- can actually… make someone- go insane."

Regulus didn't comment. He could think of several spells that would make someone go insane faster than the cruciatus, but he didn't see any need in mentioning them at the moment.

While Regulus thought ignoring each other would be far less irritating than listening to James' snarky comments every time they saw each other- he had mostly only continued this conversation for an excuse to watch him closely. He was trying to gauge how much blood he had lost, and how likely he was to pass out from the pain. With his complexion as it was, it was impossible to tell anything by his skin tone. He still seemed fairly lucid- as much as he had ever been at any rate. It would be best if he were treated soon though, especially with his potential head injury.

Regulus could heal him well enough. Not as well as if he had healing potions to go along with the treatment, but well enough to get him back on his feet. As Regulus observed James, he began to think it might have been for the best that he had not entered the program to become a healer.

He was stubbornly refusing to offer treatment, just as stubbornly as James was refusing to ask for help. Most healers would not require an invitation to at least offer. Rachel certainly would have already healed him. Regulus was far too stubborn and not nearly kind enough to do the same. Still, he didn't think it was unreasonable for James to ask for help, rather than just expect it to be given because they were supposed to be on the same side of the war now- _did James even believe that at this point_?

Sirius showed up a few moments later. He looked at Regulus in confusion as he was cleaning blood from his arm, clearly trying to look ever so innocent as he did it. Sirius slowly turned and found James covered in burns, attempting to examine his profusely bleeding shoulder with his clearly broken left arm dangling awkwardly to the side of him. There was also an unexplained and seemingly innocent pile of ice beside him.

Sirius was ashamed to admit he could almost find humor in the situation. He had no doubt that James asked for it. He had clearly been gearing up for a fight ever since he learned Regulus' identity. Sirius wouldn't be surprised if he had added insult to injury once he met Regulus here and instigated the battle himself.

Sirius could not remember ever seeing James in such a compromising position that hadn't involved multiple death eaters at once. Few had ever shown quick enough reactions to counter James' seeker reflexes. After quickly assessing James' predicament though, it didn't even look as if Regulus had used any particularly dark magic. There was one problem with their current situation though,

"Seriously? What about the dementors headed for the Hogwarts Express?"

"We've been waiting on you," James bit out, "What took you so long?"

"I was trying to find Remus- never mind. James, can you still go?"

"Regulus- has been healing- all of his injuries since- our duel ended, he looked- a lot worse before," James snapped defensively. Sirius heard Regulus scoff from behind him but blessedly remained quiet. "I would have done the same- if he hadn't- thought- it fair to- injure- both- of my- arms. I can go… I just need… maybe a little help first."

Sirius looked from James to Regulus, the latter was clearly pretending to be oblivious of their current conversation as he repaired the damage their duel had caused to the platform.

"I'm rubbish at healing, James. Maybe you should ask Regulus."

James blinked, "I'll just- apparate back- to Hogwarts. Someone there can heal me."

Sirius raised an eyebrow, "And leave the students to the mercies of the dementors? We should get to battle some death eaters if we hurry."

James made to cross his arms, but upon remembering his left arm was useless, huffed, "Fine. Regulus, will you heal- the injuries that you caused?" He mumbled.

Sirius gave a fake cough as he said, 'please'.

James rolled his eyes, "Will you- please at least- heal my arm?" he asked in barely over a whisper.

Regulus proved he had been eavesdropping when he was able to hear James' request despite the low tone it was asked in, "Sure, why didn't you say so?" he asked in a falsely cheerful voice.

Sirius could tell by looking at Regulus that he had multiple retorts on the tip of his tongue but was holding them back for the sake of time- they had already wasted so much of it. Sirius himself would have mentioned that James likely couldn't have healed any of his injuries properly even without the injuries to his arms, but he also remained silent.

He didn't know if they could catch the train in time to be of any help at this point. None of them knew the way to Hogwarts from London without following the track. Dementors can fly much faster than the Hogwarts Express moved- but not nearly as fast as a wizard flying on a broom could. As Sirius was unsure if any of the students, or the woman with the food trolley was capable of performing a patronus, it was worth the effort to try to catch them.

Sirius was hopeful that the lack of response they received from Remus and Dumbledore meant there were Order members already on the scene. Dumbledore had given Sirius 'the day off' for his father's funeral- and James too after he insisted on accompanying him.

The problem likely wouldn't just be the dementors. Sirius could still remember vividly the attack on the Hogwarts Express that had occurred in his sixth year. There had been dementors then too, but everyone's bigger concern at the time had been the fact that the train was completely surrounded by death eaters. He and the other marauders had been magically sealed into their compartment, unable to do anything but wait. The attack had resulted in the abduction of one of their housemates. No one ever did find his body. Some were hopeful he was still alive- Sirius had his doubts.

Regulus silently healed James' injuries. Without further comment the trio immediately took to the air, following the track in hopes of catching up to the Hogwarts Express. For the first time ever, all three of them were thankful for how notoriously slow the train moved.

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Please leave a review on your way out. =)<p> 


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